FDA decision on Meridia expected in fall

Medical Marketing and Media, Aug 2002

Abbott executives say that the FDA will need more than the 90 days allowed to respond to a March-filed petition from Public Citizen's Sidney Wolfe asking that the company's weight loss drug Meridia be withdrawn from the market. In a June 11 conference call with financial analysts, Abbott Pharmaceutical Products President Jeffrey Leiden said that Abbott has supplied extensive data to the FDA in response to the petition and can see that the agency can't complete its review within the required 90 days.

"We believe the agency will be prepared to respond some time this fall," he said.