Nutri/System using Prozac/phentermine combo in place of "phen/fen" for obesity; Jenny Craig ends Rx use.

Executive Summary

PROZAC5/PHENTERMINE TO REPLACE "FEN/PHEN" AT NUTRI/SYSTEM centers offering pharmacologic therapy for obesity, the weight loss center company said. The decision follows another round of negative publicity for the unapproved fenfluramine/phentermine combination and the approved fenfluramine isomer dexfenfluramine, sold as Redux by Wyeth-Ayerst and Interneuron. Lilly's Prozac (fluoxetine) and fenfluramine both affect serotonin levels in the brain; however, fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, while fenfluramine is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and releasing agent.