Meridia Recall Diet/Obesity Drug by Abbott Laboratories

Image via WikipediaAbbott has issued a Meridia Recall after being asked by the FDA to stop marketing the product in the United States due to results of a study indicating an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in Meridia users.

Meridia (sibutramine) is a prescription weight loss drug marketed and sold in the United Stages by Abbott Laboratories, who have removed their Meridia webpage and issued a Meridia recall statement on their website.

According to Abbott, he FDA’s request for Abbott to remove Meridia from the US market is based primarily on the results of the SCOUT (Sibutramine Cardiovascular OUTcome Trial) study. This study researched about 10,000 patient, 6-year study requested by European regulatory authorities as a post-marketing commitment to evaluate cardiovascular safety in high-risk patients. Abbot maintains that most of these patients “had underlying cardiovascular disease and were not eligible to receive sibutramine under the current labeling“.

Patients should stop using Meridia (sibutramine) and consult their physician. Patients can also contact Abbott’s medical information line at: 1-866-257-8909.