fen-phen

American  

[fen-fen] / ˈfɛnˌfɛn /

Or fen/phen

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a drug that is a combination of fenfluramine and phentermine, formerly used in treating obesity but withdrawn from the market because of its potential to cause valvular heart disease.

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Etymology

Origin of fen-phen

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

In 1999, in Canton, Texas, a 36-year-old woman facing lifelong heart problems that she blamed on the diet drug combination fen-phen was awarded $23.3 million in the first such lawsuit to reach a jury.

From Washington Times • Aug. 6, 2018

The F.D.A. has been cautious about approving such drugs because of safety problems, most notably the heart valve damage caused by a drug used in the fen-phen diet pill combination.

From New York Times • Jul. 18, 2012

Vivus said its pill worked in a different way from "fen-phen" and did not have the same heart valve problems.

From Reuters • Jul. 18, 2012

In a rare move, the FDA explicitly stated in a press release that Belviq “does not appear to activate” a receptor that was linked to the heart problems seen with fen-phen.

From Salon • Jun. 27, 2012

But because the agency doesn't regulate doctors' decisions about prescribing various combinations of drugs, more than 18 million fen-phen prescriptions were written by 1996.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 24, 2012