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Hosts' Personal Prescriptions
- Michael Hobbs and Aubrey Gordon both describe being prescribed Fen-Phen/Redux as teenagers and young adults.
- Their personal experiences highlight how doctors pushed the drug onto vulnerable patients during high-school and wedding preparations.
Safety Was Assumed, Not Tested
- Fen-Phen combined older amphetamines with a new serotonergic drug (Redux) and companies assumed safety from prior approvals.
- Manufacturers focused initial testing on weight-loss effectiveness and not on long-term safety or combination effects.
Approval Hinged On Process, Not Data
- FDA advisory panels initially rejected Redux on safety concerns but later flipped their vote with restricted attendance.
- Political and scheduling maneuvers influenced approval despite no new scientific evidence.