1. a synthetic drug formerly used as an appetite suppressant in weight-loss medications, withdrawn from the market due to serious cardiovascular side effects
Usage: medical/pharmaceutical term; primarily of historical interest; no longer approved for use in most countries

Examples

• Fenfluramine was widely prescribed in the 1990s as part of combination weight-loss therapy.
• The drug fenfluramine was linked to heart valve problems in patients who took it.
• Doctors stopped recommending fenfluramine after studies revealed its dangerous side effects.
• Fenfluramine was withdrawn from the U.S. market in 1997 following safety concerns.
• The fenfluramine case became a landmark example of pharmaceutical risk management.