Fen-Phen Doc Guilty of Web Prescriptions

B A L T I M O R E, June 25 -- Pietr Hitzig, the self-described "father of fen-phen," was convicted today of illegally prescribing the drug over the Internet to patients he never saw.

Hitzig, 58, was found guilty of all 34 charges. He faces up to104 years in prison at sentencing.

Marci Murphy, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's office saidJudge J. Frederick Motz would hold a hearing Tuesday to determinewhether Hitzig would be detained until sentencing. She saidAssistant U.S. Attorney Christine Manuelian has already requesteddetention.

Murphy said she did not know if prosecutors would recommend themaximum sentence for Hitzig. He faces up to 20 years each on twocounts and up to three years each on 32 counts.

Prosecutors said hundreds of patients around the world obtaineddrugs like fen-phen from Hitzig after visiting his Web site andsending him requests by e-mail. Doctors in Maryland are required toexamine patients before prescribing medication.

Hitzig was charged with distributing medicine to 12 patients,two of whom were undercover agents.

Hitzig's brother, Rupert, was surprised by the verdict. "Oh my God. Isn't that terrible? It's a tragedy," he said fromhis Los Angeles home.

Rupert Hitzig said he still believes his brother is innocent.

"I don't think he willfully believed he done anything wrong,"he said. "He believed in his brainpower. I think this is aterrible miscarriage of justice."

Prosecutors described Hitzig as a doctor seeking fame withoutregard for his patients. They said Hitzig prescribed fen-phen "forevery illness known to mankind," alleging he could treat Gulf Warsyndrome, chronic fatigue, alcohol and drug addictions, as well ascure AIDS and cancer.

Defense attorney Barry Coburn said Hitzig was an experienceddoctor who found the diet drug combination could cure severaladdictions.

Fenfluramine, the "fen" half of the combination, was pulledoff the market in 1997 amid concerns that it scarred heart valvesirreversibly and sometimes fatally.