Excerpted from Los Angeles Times, Wednesday, 20 November 2002.

Metabolife Ordered To Pay In Ephedra Suit

Bloomberg News -- Metabolife International Inc. was ordered to pay $4.07 million to four people who suffered heart attacks and strokes after they took the company's Metabolife 365 diet supplement, which contains ephedra.

A federal jury in Birmingham, Ala., found the San Diego-based company's weight-loss pill caused heart attacks, strokes, seizures and irregular heartbeats, lawyers for the plaintiffs said.

Officials at Metabolife said they intend to appeal the verdict.

Excerpted from Los Angeles Times, Wednesday, 20 November 2002.