Our PPA Law Practice

If you have suffered a stroke you think might be related to the use of a product containing PPA (phenylpropanolamine), you're not alone. PPA is a chemical that was used in scores of cold and cough medications, nasal decongestants, appetite suppressants and weight loss products. Prior to 2000, PPA was one of the most common ingredients in non-prescription medications in this country, with literally billions of doses consumed each year.

In late 2000, the FDA announced it would begin to ban products containing PPA unless manufacturers removed the ingredient from their products. PPA had been used for over 50 years, and there had been signs of potential problems for decades, however these warnings were not acted upon until a Yale University study published in 2000 indicated the risk of suffering a stroke while taking such products was significantly increased, especially for women.

The Yale study found that women aged 18-49 who took appetite suppressants containing PPA were 16 times more likely to have a hemorrhagic stroke than other women. And women who used cold or cough remedies containing PPA for the first time had a threefold increased risk of stroke.

Recently a U.S. District Court ruling determined that the increased risk of stroke from PPA is not limited to a specific gender or to any particular age groups. Expert witness testimony before the Court confirmed that the danger logically extends to children and the elderlyÑand that men are also susceptible.

Since consumers were unaware of the dangers of PPA, many never made the connection between their stroke and their use of products containing PPA. Likewise, medical personnel were not conscious of the link between strokes and PPA, and may not have considered it as a possible cause.

Prior to 2000, dozens of well-known pharmaceutical companies were marketing products containing PPA, including SmithKline Beecham, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Bayer, Novartis, Wyeth, Abbott and Parke-Davis. These companies have repeatedly insisted there was a lack of concrete scientific evidence that strokes were the result of PPA. Recent evidence suggests, however, that they might have been deliberately covering up knowledge of PPA's side effects for many years.

To learn more about PPA and to find resources to help you cope with stroke recovery, we welcome you to visit our resource website at www.ppa-advice.org.

Free Case Evaluation

If you have suffered a stroke you believe might have been caused by PPA and would like us to review your case, please click here for a Free Case Evaluation form. We provide this service free of charge and you are under no obligation to retain us as your legal counsel.

Resource Website

To learn more about PPA and to find resources to help you cope with the physical and emotional challenges of its effects, we welcome you to visit our resource website at www.ppaadvice.org .

Contact Us

Please contact us if you have questions or need more information. HendlerLaw represents individuals with a range of toxic injuries. Call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-443-6353 or e-mail us at help@hendlerlaw.com.