Diet-Drug Debacle
Authors: Alfred F. Parisi
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1998)

Editorials1 December 1998Diet-Drug DebacleAlfred F. Parisi, MDAlfred F. Parisi, MDThe Miriam Hospital; Providence, RI 02906Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-129-11_Part_1-199812010-00013 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail One of the realities and frustrations of the practice of clinical pharmacotherapy is the withdrawal of a previously approved medication from the marketplace. Such action engenders anxiety, concern, and disappointment among patients and physicians, as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and drug manufacturers. This not-infrequently repeated scenario received great public attention last year when the manufacturers of fenfluramine and its D-isomer, dexfenfluramine, voluntarily removed these agents from the market. Unlike many other pharmaceuticals that were previously recalled, fenfluramine had been on the market for more than two decades (dexfenfluramine was approved in 1996). Both of these ...References1. Graham JR. Cardiac and pulmonary fibrosis during methysergide therapy for headache. Am J Med Sci. 1967; 254:1-12. Google Scholar2. Bana DS, MacNeal PS, LeCompte PM, Shah Y, Graham JR. Cardiac murmurs and endocardial fibrosis associated with methysergide therapy. Am Heart J. 1974; 88:640-55. Google Scholar3. Misch KA. Development of heart valve lesions during methysergide therapy. Br Med J. 1974; 2:365-6. Google Scholar4. Physicians' Desk Reference. 51st ed. Oradell, NJ: Medical Economics; 1997. Google Scholar5. Redfield MM, Nicholson WJ, Edwards WD, Tajik AJ. Valve disease associated with ergot alkaloid use: echocardiographic and pathologic correlations. Ann Intern Med. 1992; 117:50-2. Google Scholar6. 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Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Alfred F. Parisi, MDAffiliations: The Miriam Hospital; Providence, RI 02906Corresponding Author: Alfred F. Parisi, MD, Brown University School of Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit Avenue, Providence, RI 02906. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoRisk for Valvular Heart Disease among Users of Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine Who Underwent Echocardiography before Use of Medication Christina C. Wee , Russell S. Phillips , Gerard Aurigemma , Stephen Erban , Gila Kriegel , Marilyn Riley , and Pamela S. Douglas Metrics Cited byAnti-obesity weight loss medications: Short-term and long-term useFenfluraminesADVERSE CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF NON-CARDIOVASCULAR DRUGSClinical trial issues in weight-loss therapyFenfluraminesSafety of Drug Therapies Used for Weight Loss and Treatment of ObesityCentral nervous system stimulants and drugs that suppress appetite 1 December 1998Volume 129, Issue 11_Part_1Page: 903-905KeywordsCardiovascular therapyDietDrugsEchocardiographyFood and Drug AdministrationHeartLesionsObesitySerotoninValvular diseases ePublished: 15 August 2000 Issue Published: 1 December 1998 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1998 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...