A 'miracle' slimming pill may have killed thousands of people in France and could become the worst health scandal in the nation's history. The drug Mediator was prescribed to up five million people, originally to overweight diabetes sufferers, from its launch in 1979 until it was banned last year. And for 30 years it was also used as an appetite-suppressing drug by thousands of healthy men and women, with its cost even subsidised by the French healthcare system.
在流行“越瘦越美丽”的年代，花样翻新的减肥药成了无数少女们变美的捷径。近日，一种由赛尔维公司制造的供糖尿病患者使用的名为“奇迹”的减肥药因已导致500人死亡，并殃及潜在上百万糖尿病患者的健康，成为民众的“头号公敌”。据悉，自减肥药1979年上市以来，投入市场的时间长达30年，时间跨度之大令人震惊。这种减肥药因针对糖尿病患者投入市场，之后因食用后会产生不同程度“厌食”效果，而收到上万男女热捧。近日，法国药品安全监管机构15日正式对该药发出“禁令”。
（图片来源于网络）
But a forthcoming official report is now warning that it may be linked to the deaths of up to 2,000 people and caused heart problems in 3,500 more. Paris government scientists claim the active ingredient in Mediator, called benflourex, could have caused thickening of the heart valves, fatigue, breathlessness - and had no effect at all on weight loss. Politicians and successive health ministers are now under pressure to answer why they ignored repeated warning from experts that the drug could be highly dangerous.
有数据显示，该减肥药的一种活性成分苯氟雷斯(benfluorex会)引起的心脏瓣膜增厚、呼吸困难而致病患死亡，恐怕是造成2000患者死亡的部分原因，同时专家担心该药会引起更多患者心脏的不适。专家称，这种所谓的减肥药除了对心脏造成不可修复性损害对“减轻体重”丝毫没有作用。由于投入市场时间过长，同时该药的危险性一直没有公之于众，法国卫生当局长期以来一直未能重视有关禁止该药的呼吁。这个“重大失职”让法国药品安全监管机构日前受到“前所未有”数量的质疑。
Mr Bertrand has now announced: 'Our message to all those who took Mediator is that they must see a doctor - particularly those who took it for three months over the past four years.'
此外，法国新任卫生部长克萨维埃-贝尔特朗在应对媒体召开的发布会上建议但凡使用过药物的患者尽快去医院做体检，他说：“特别是近4年来，已经使用该药3个月或3个月以上的患者，最好去医院检查。”他在就任新职数小时后称：“我们将要求卫生部门联络所有相关病人。”