American Home’s Diet Drug Reports Probed

A federal grand jury is looking into whether American Home Products Corp. hid reports from the Food and Drug Administration that its withdrawn diet drugs caused potentially fatal side effects in users. American Home received a grand jury subpoena from federal prosecutors in Maryland earlier this month seeking information about the company’s system for reporting so-called adverse events connected to its Pondimin and Redux diet drugs, company officials said in a securities filing Monday. Pondimin and Redux, one part of the fen-phen diet combination, were yanked off the market in 1997 after being linked to heart problems in users. In September, company officials said they were “unaware” that the FBI had launched a preliminary inquiry into whether American Home executives lied to FDA regulators or withheld information about the side effects of the diet drugs. In Monday’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company denied any wrongdoing. News of the grand jury probe comes as a federal judge is considering whether to give expected final approval to a $3.75-billion nationwide settlement of suits over the drugs. AHP shares rose 97 cents to close at $57 on the NYSE.