GLP‑1 news from 1997
2 dated, sourced GLP-1 developments from 1997: approvals, trial results, prices, lawsuits, compounding and culture.
- Competition
Fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine withdrawn from the US market
The manufacturers and the FDA announce the withdrawal of fenfluramine (Pondimin) and dexfenfluramine (Redux) over valvular heart disease and pulmonary hypertension. Phentermine, the 'phen' in fen-phen, is not withdrawn. CORRECTION 2026-09-14: the court-approved national class settlement with American Home Products was $4.75 billion when approved in 2000, not $3.75 billion, later valued at roughly $7.65 billion; the frequently quoted $13 billion is a 2003 Forbes figure for total Wyeth payouts on Pondimin and Redux claims, not a single judgment.
- Competition
First public report of valvular heart disease in fen-phen users
Twenty-four cases of valvular heart disease in women treated with fenfluramine and phentermine are publicly reported. The lesions resemble carcinoid-induced valvular disease, a serotonin-related pattern. Connolly and colleagues publish the case series in the New England Journal of Medicine in August 1997.