CANTON, Texas -- A Texas woman who blamed the diet drug combination fen-phen for her heart damage has agreed to settle a lawsuit against the manufacturer for a fraction of the $23.3 million a jury awarded her.
News of the settlement Thursday came on the same day as reports that the company -- American Home Products Corp. -- is close to settling most of the thousands of diet pill lawsuits filed against it for at least $3 billion.American Home made fenfluramine, the "fen" in the fen-phen combination, and gave the drug a brand name of Pondimin. It also made Pondimin's chemical cousin Redux.
In the Texas case, Debbie Lovett, 36, of Grand Saline, blamed American Home and subsidiary Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories for damage she suffered after taking fen-phen for more than three months starting in October 1995.
Lovett's attorney Kip Petroff would not disclose the amount of the settlement but said the deal was reached after considering state law that caps monetary awards in civil suits.
AHP spokesman Doug Petkus went a bit further in discussing the deal.
"While the amount is confidential, American Home Products can confirm it totaled less than 10 percent of the amount returned by the jury," Petkus said.