News briefs for August 17, 1999

Class-action suit filed over diet drugs

Five Nevada residents have filed a class-action lawsuit against the makers and distributors of the diet drugs known as "Fen-Phen," including all Nevada branches of the Jenny Craig Weight Loss Centre Inc.

American Home Products, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories and Robins Co. are the manufacturers named as defendants in the suit filed in Washoe County District Court in Reno.

The combined use of the drugs -- Pondimin (fenfluarmine) and Redux (dexfenfluarimine) -- never was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. But many diet centers and weight loss clinics promoted the use of Fen-Phen anyway as a rapid and safe way to lose weight.

The companies stopped making the drugs nearly two years ago after a Mayo Clinic study linked them to potentially fatal heart valve damage.

The plaintiffs in the suit are identified as Lourdes Fuentes, Peggy Mendez and Barbara Miller, all of Las Vegas, and Earl Keller and Allura Smith of Reno.

Other diet centers named as defendants include the Advanced Medical Weight Loss Center Inc.

Medical problem may have led to death

The Clark County coroner's office is trying to determine if a medical problem caused a man to veer into a power pole Monday morning.

Metro Police said Greg Royce-Jackson, 51, of Las Vegas veered onto the sidewalk in the 6200 block of West Charleston Boulevard at about 10:30 a.m. His 1994 Nissan struck a construction sign and then sideswiped a light pole before hitting the power pole head on, police said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

State telephone book available online now

The state Department of Information Technology said today the state's telephone directory is now available on the state's webpage (www.state.nv.us).

It contains the names, addresses and numbers of all state agencies. Hard copies of the directory may still be purchased through the department for $15.

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