Question: What is the historical significance of the drug aminorex?
Answer: The cited reference notes: “In 1967, only 2 years after the introduction of the anorexigen drug aminorex on the market in Switzerland, West Germany and Austria, an epidemic of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was observed. During this period, nearly 60% of the diagnosed patients had a history of aminorex intake that allowed us to recognize the temporal and geographical relationships between the use of the drug and PAH development. Furthermore, this epidemic significantly decreased 2 years after the withdrawal of aminorex. These patients were found to have precapillary PH with typical plexiform arteriopathy upon histological examination and a severe prognosis: 10 years after the epidemic, half of the patients died, usually of right heart failure.” (Montani D. et al. Drug-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension: a recent outbreak. 2013 Eur Resp Rev 22:244-250)