Associated Press, "Wyeth Agrees to a Fen-Phen Pact"

          More than 40,000 former fen-phen users who contend the diet drugs caused minor heart-valve damage would be compensated faster -- but get substantially less money -- under a proposed deal to speed review of less-serious cases in the protracted litigation. The agreement, between drug maker Wyeth and lawyers representing more than 100,000 former users of its Pondimin and Redux pills, would set up a $1.275 billion fund, Wyeth said. That fund would cover payments for about 40,170 people with non-life-threatening valve damage, the biggest group of claimants.
          Fen-phen was never an FDA-approved combination, and the phentermine half is still sold. The new agreement was filed late Tuesday night with U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III in Philadelphia, the judge overseeing the litigation. If he approves the agreement, claimants will be notified about their options.