[JURIST] A federal judge in Utah has struck down the Food and Drug Administration ban on the weight-loss supplement ephedra, pulled off the market by the FDA in April 2004 [FDA press release] after it was found to be linked to some 155 deaths. In a Wednesday ruling made public Thursday, Judge Tena Campbell directed the FDA to conduct further rule-making "consistent with the court's opinion." The ruling is a major victory for Utah-based Nutraceutical [corporate website], which had argued that ephedra has been "safely consumed" for hundreds of years. Review Thursday's Nutraceutical press release [text]. Read the court order [PDF]. The FDA provides additional background information on ephedra. AP has more.