Although France banned the drug in November '09, Spain and Italy had banned it in 2005, raising questions as to why French authorities ignored evidence of the drug's potentially lethal effects. As in the United States, pharmaceutical lobbies have close ties to politicians, and business interests may have led to the delay.
The Mediator-caused deaths and hospitalizations were due to thickened heart valves. The same side effect was also attributed to another drug, Isomeride, which was also manufactured by Servier Pharmaceuticals. It is worth noting that Isomeride's commercial equivalent in the United States, Redux, was banned in 1997.
Redux, in turn, was the fenfluramine half of the notorious Fen-fen diet drug that was also banned in 1997. That drug's maker, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, has since paid upwards of 13 billion dollars to settle the resultant lawsuits.
In spite of all this, new weight loss drugs like Arena Pharmaceutical's Lorquess (which, you guessed it, works the same way as Isomeride/Redux/fenfluramine) are seeking FDA approval. As it would seem, the potential profits to be made from these "diets in a pill" outweigh the risks.
IMHO people should concentrate on fitness programs and workout along with control in food rather than going of weight reduction pills and medication.
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