American Home Products is preparing a multibillion-dollar settlement toresolve a majority of the lawsuits the company faces over its dietdrugs, commonly called fen-phen.

But don’t expect the more than 3,000 Florida residents who are part ofa pair of class action suits to be part of the deal. Instead, they willpursue their claims in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, according to one ofthe Miami attorneys who represents them.