Dexfenfluramine: profile and news

Leading Doctor Cites Obesity Drugs in Attack on FDA Approval ...  Feb 8, 2006
..."The most notorious example of an appetite-control drug that the FDA deemed good enough for approval was dexfenfluramine (Redux), the d-isomer of the decades ... - Diet Drug Report,

Mechanically stimulating the heart  Feb 23, 2006
Two months later, The Food and Drug Administration asked the makers of fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine to voluntarily remove both treatments from the market. ... - myDNA.com,

There's still no magic pill for weight loss  Feb 19, 2006
...company. Some say the field remains shaken by the FDA's decision to pull fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine from the market in 1997. ... - Boston Globe,

Encouraging Early News About Another Obesity Drug, APD356  Feb 8, 2006
This compound targets a different serotonin receptor than Fen-Phen and dexfenfluramine, and the most common side effects from APD356 reported from the short ... - Diet Drug Report,

Wyeth Hoping to Settle Most Remaining "Fen-phen" Lawsuits in Next ...  Feb 9, 2006
Pondimin (fenfluramine hydrochloride) and Redux (dexfenfluramine), the two drugs that made up the "fen" portion of what in the 1990s was the extraordinarily ... - Diet Drug Report,

In patients receiving nonselective monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) (e.g., selegiline hydrochloride) in combination with serotoninergic agents (e.g., fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine), there have been reports of serious, sometimes fatal, reactions. Because dexfenfluramine is a serotonin releaser and reuptake inhibitor, dexfenfluramine should not be used concomitantly with a MAO inhibitor.

At least 14 days should elapse between discontinuation of a MAO inhibitor and initiation of treatment with dexfenfluramine. At least 3 weeks should elapse between discontinuation of dexfenfluramine and initiation of treatment with a MAO inhibitor.

A rare, but serious, constellation of symptoms, termed "serotonin syndrome," has been reported with the concomitant use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and agents for migraine therapy, such as Imitrex (sumatriptan succinate) and dihydroergotamine. The syndrome requires immediate medical attention and may include one or more of the following symptoms: excitement, hypomania, restlessness, loss of consciousness, confusion, disorientation, anxiety, agitation, motor weakness, myoclonus, tremor, hemiballismus, hyperreflexia, ataxia, dysarthria, incoordination, hyperthermia, shivering, pupillary dilation, diaphoresis, emesis, and tachycardia. Dexfenfluramine should not be administered with other serotoninergic agents. The appropriate interval between administration of these agents and dexfenfluramine has not been established. The use of dexfenfluramine with other CNS-active drugs has not been systematically evaluated; consequently, caution is advised if dexfenfluramine and such drugs are prescribed concurrently.