Statement for Release in Response to Media Inquiry: Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Filed in DuPage County by Family of Woman Who Died After Taking Diet Pill Phentermine, Prescribed by Her Physician

The law office of John J. Malm & Associates has been retained to represent the family of a woman who died after she was prescribed the diet drug, Phentermine, by her family physician. Phentermine (also known as Adipex) is sometimes prescribed for weight loss, but is known to have cardiovascular side effects, including sudden cardiac arrhythmia. A lawsuit filed against the physician alleges that the plaintiff, a 35-year-old woman who suffered from a heart condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, died because her doctor failed to refer her to a cardiologist for further testing and treatment of her heart condition, and because the doctor carelessly prescribed Phentermine, a drug known to cause sudden cardiac death. According to medical experts, patients who have been diagnosed with a heart condition, such as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, are at an especially high-risk for sudden cardiac arrhythmia and should not be given Phentermine. The plaintiff, who died on March 23, 2012, is survived by her husband and two children. The lawsuit pending in the 18th Judicial Circuit Court in DuPage County seeks damages pursuant to the Illinois Wrongful Death Act, 740 ILCS 180/1, et seq., including grief and sorrow and the loss of love and support.