American Home Faces Fen-Phen Trial

American Home Products Corp. faces trial in a bid by symptom-free users of the fen-phen diet drug combination to force the U.S.’s fifth-largest drug maker to pay to monitor their health. Jury selection is scheduled to begin today in a New Jersey state court in a consumer class-action suit accusing AHP of hiding the health risks associated with fen-phen. It’s the first case to go to trial seeking to saddle American Home with the tab for monitoring the hearts and lungs of fen-phen users. Dieters across the U.S. have accused the company of pushing the once wildly popular fen-phen combination despite knowing that it damages some users’ heart valves and causes a fatal lung disease in others. So far, AHP has settled every case that has gone to trial. On Friday, AHP shares fell 56 cents to close at $51 on the New York Stock Exchange.