Hypolipidemic/Hypoglycemic: withdrawn from European market in 1998, but not withdrawn from the French market until 2009 (when the first case series reporting benfluorex-associated pulmonary hypertension was published)
Drug was frequently used between 1998-2009 in France as a replacement for isomeride
Pharmacology
Fenfluramine-Derivative: its main metabolite is norfenfluramine (similar to isomeride)
In case series: mean ingestion duration was 30 months, median delay between start of exposure and onset of pulmonary hypertension was 108 months [MEDLINE]
In case series: 25% of cases had coexisting pulmonary hypertension and mild-moderate valvular heart disease [MEDLINE]