VFW Demands Accountability Over Chantix Issue

-The Patriot

07/18/2008- "Enough is enough," said George J. Lisicki, the national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., in response to yesterday's Washington Times article about the potential lethal effect a prescribed drug is having on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-diagnosed veterans who volunteered for a Department of Veterans Affairs smoking cessation program. More>>>

Litigators Set Sights on Chantix

-FDA News

07/15/2008- A lawsuit claiming Pfizer’s smoking-cessation drug Chantix caused a suicide was filed in Indiana federal court earlier this month, and a major law firm is investigating similar legal action against the manufacturer. More>>>

Pfizer faces lawsuits over anti-smoking drug Chantix

-LegalNewsLine

07/14/2008- Pfizer's smoking-cessation drug Chantix could be the latest drug to land in the crosshairs of U.S. plaintiffs' attorneys, two new lawsuits suggest. More>>>

First Chantix Lawsuit Filed
-NewsInferno
07/12/2008- One of the first lawsuits over Pfizer’s smoking cessation drug, Chantix, is becoming official this week. The lawsuit alleges that the use of Chantix led David Collins of Gas City, Indiana, to commit suicide in January and that Pfizer failed to issue proper warnings about psychiatric side effects.  More>>>

Widow Sues Pfizer Over Chantix After Husband’s Suicide

-Wall Street Journal

07/10/2008- Where there’s a drug-safety controversy, there’s a lawsuit waiting in the wings. In Pfizer’s case, the suit over the smoking-cessation drug Chantix was filed by the widow of a man who shot himself to death in January. More>>>

Drugs' Links To Suicide Risk Draw Concern

-Wall Street Journal

07/09/2008- Federal regulators are about to expand the number of drug warnings for suicide risk, escalating worries for consumers and fueling a debate about whether the Food and Drug Administration is overreacting, or properly alerting the public of risks it ignored for too long. More>>>

Tough Questions for VA on Suicide-Linked Chantix

-ABC News

07/08/2008- The Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs will appear before Congress tomorrow to answer questions about why his administration continued to recruit veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan for studies of pharmaceutical drugs linked to suicide and other violent side-effects. More>>>

VA Tested Drugs That Could Produce Psychosis on War Veterans

-Discover

07/01/2008- The antismoking drug Chantix was considered a wonder drug for about 18 months; the drug helps people quit smoking by both reducing nicotine cravings and decreasing the pleasure derived from tobacco. Then the reports of scary side effects started leaking out. More>>>

Stay Away from Chantix

-Lawyers and Settlements

06/30/2008- Cindy B. had been smoking for 25 years when she decided it was time to quit. Unfortunately, she was given Chantix and suffered serious side effects. However, it was not until she read an article about Chantix that she realized her side effects were related to the smoking-cessation drug. More>>>

VA Defends Itself Against Allegations Over Chantix Trial

-FDA News
06/26/2008- A high-profile controversy has erupted over reports that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been conducting a clinical trial of Pfizer ’s smoking-cessation drug Chantix on hundreds of veterans. More>>>

Veterans to Receive Warning Letter about Chantix Link to Suicidal Thoughts
-InjuryBoard
06/23/2008- The Veterans Administration is mailing letters to more than 32,000 veterans who are currently taking the smoking-cessation drug, Chantix (made by Pfizer), warning them of the drug’s possible side effects, which include suicidal thoughts. More>>>

Warning issued about stop-smoking drug
-Globeandmail.com
06/22/2008- Champix, a highly-touted smoking-cessation pill marketed by Pfizer Canada, may be linked to suicide, depression and other serious psychiatric problems, Health Canada warned yesterday. More>>>

Chantix Concerns Ignored by FDA, Doctor Says
-NewsInferno.com
06/19/2008- Concerns over Chantix side effects were reportedly ignored by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) last year when they were raised by a doctor who is a top expert in smoking cessation. More>>>

'Disposable Heroes': Veterans Used To Test Suicide-Linked Drugs
-ABC News
06/17/2008- Mentally distressed veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are being recruited for government tests on pharmaceutical drugs linked to suicide and other violent side effects. More>>>

Chantix Not For Everyone
-Lawyers and Settlements

06/16/2008- When Mike's doctor prescribed Chantix, he wasn't sold on the idea: only a few years back he had taken Wellbutrin to quit smoking, "but it drove me nuts," said Mike. His doctor said that Chantix was safe. How wrong she was. More>>>

FDA, Pfizer Told of Chantix Safety Concerns a Year Ago
-ABC News

06/12/2008- A physician and top smoking cessation researcher says U.S. regulators and a drugmaker brushed aside his concerns a year ago about possibly dangerous side effects from longer-term use of the stop-smoking drug Chantix. More>>>

RP warns of anti-smoking drug side effects
-Inquirer.net

06/12/2008- Health officials have cautioned people on Thursday against taking the anti-smoking drug varenicline due to possible behavioral and psychiatric side effects, echoing a US warning. More>>>

FMCSA issues Chantix alert
-eTrucker.com

06/09/2008- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has advised medical examiners not to certify drivers taking Chantix, a popular smoking-cessation drug, because it may adversely affect driving. More>>>

"Chantix Overwhelmed Me"
-Lawyers and Settlements
06/08/2008- Rogersville, TN: "It's funny that everything started at the same time—nausea, pressure on my chest and all my mental problems; these symptoms happened almost immediately after I started to take Chantix," says Angie. More>>>

Woman: Husband may have become disoriented because of drug, Chantix
-WINK News
06/04/2008- A husband and daughter go missing for nearly two days and the wife says a drug used to help people quit smoking could be to blame.
Susan Marino says her husband was taking the drug, Chantix. That drug's warning label states it might cause neuro-psychiatric symptoms, including changes in behavior, agitation, depression, and suicidal behavior. More>>>

Anti-smoking drug under scrutiny again
-LA Times

06/03/2008- The anti-smoking drug Chantix developed by Pfizer is being re- examined by the US Food and Drug Administration after reports that hundreds of patients have experienced serious problems. More>>>

FDA Investigating Pfizer's Anti-Smoking Drug Chantix
-Lawyers and Settlements

06/02/2008- FDA is no investigating Pfizer's anti-smoking drug Chantix after last week's report about serious adverse side effects. More>>>

Chantix: The Kids Also Suffer
-Lawyers and Settlements
05/31/2008-On their doctor's advice, Tara and her husband were both prescribed Chantix to quit their smoking addiction. Although the drug has a high success rate, many users are questioning whether the psychological side effects are worth it. More>>>

05/30/2008- The FDA is taking a closer look at anti-smoking drug Chantix...it may be causing serious side effects in some users. More>>>

Pfizer Seeks to Counter Chantix Concerns

-Wall Street Journal

05/29/2008- Pfizer Inc. is preparing an advertising and public-relations campaign to counter concerns about its antismoking drug Chantix, once trumpeted as a potential billion-dollar-a-year blockbuster. More>>>

Chantix Under Fire
-PharmExec.com
05/28/2008- Pfizer's Chantix (varenicline), already under fire for safety issues, was targeted again late last week when the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, a nonprofit best known for its work in preventing medication errors, reported that the smoking cessation product was associated with more serious adverse event (SAE) reports than any other drug. More>>>

Feds Ban Truckers, Bus Drivers From Using Chantix
-CBS News

05/27/2008- Truckers and bus drivers will be unable to sit behind the wheel if they are using the drug Chantix. More>>>

FDA reviewing Pfizer anti-smoking drug

-Reuters

05/27/2008- The Food and Drug Administration is taking a closer look at Pfizer Inc's anti-smoking drug Chantix after reports of hundreds of patients experiencing serious problems, an agency official told Reuters on Tuesday. More>>>

Concerns about serious side effects of anti-smoking drug Chantix (varenicline)
Pharmaceutical News
05/26/2008- New research in the United States on the anti-smoking drug Chantix (varenicline) says there have been 3,000 reports of side effects since the drug was approved for use there in 2006. More>>>

Chantix News Means Trouble for Pfizer
-Lawyers and Settlements
05/25/2008- Chicago, IL: There is now a litany of adverse symptoms associated with Chantix (varenicline). Heart problems, seizures and diabetes join the already well-documented psychiatric problems, including suicide, suicidal thoughts and depression. More>>>

Anti-Smoking Chantinx Has Serious Side Effects
-HULIQ.com
05/22/2008- A strong signal of multiple safety problems with Chantix (varenicline), a drug to help people stop smoking, has been seen in a pilot program to identify new drug risks in adverse drug events reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. More>>>

New FDA Alerts on Chantix
-NewsInferno
05/19/2008- The US Food and Drug Administration has just approved the Medication Guide on the smoking cessation drug, Chantix, and has issued an alert to highlight changes to the “Warnings and Precautions” section of the full prescribing information regarding serious neuropsychiatric symptoms linked to Chantix.  Symptoms include changes in behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation, and both attempted and completed suicide.  More>>>

Varenicline (marketed as Chantix) Information
- FoodConsumer.org
05/18/2008- FDA is issuing this Alert to highlight important revisions to the WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS sections of the full prescribing information for Chantix regarding serious neuropsychiatric symptoms. More>>>

“Chantix Put Me in a Psychiatric Hospital”
Lawyers and Settlements

Chantix Suicide: Sinking Into the Deep Hole
-Lawyers and Settlements

05/13/2008 - New marketing ads for Pfizer's Chantix will look very different from the original 'tortoise and the hare' ads of last year, now that Pfizer has to include risk for suicide. More>>>

"A Nurse Warned Me Not to Take Chantix"

-Lawyers and Settlements

05/12/2008 - "I went from being an active, social person to someone who thought everyone was against me and I thought they would be better off without me," says Stacey. "By the third week of taking Chantix, I had suicidal thoughts." More>>>

Several Drugs Found to be Linked to Suicide
-Injury Board
05/10/2008- Suicide has been linked to several medicines over the past few years. Some of these include Accutane, Chantix, Singular and Paxil. The Food and Drug Administration has received reports on at least six different drug classes that may be linked to suicidal behavior.  The SSRI antidepressants were some of the first drugs linked to suicidal thoughts several years ago. More>>>

-ABC News

05/09/2008 - A popular drug used to help people quit smoking is now being linked to depression and suicidal behavior. More>>>

Chantix Helps Smoking Stoppage, May Lead to Suicide

-eNews 2.0

05/09/2008 - The federal government suggests doctors should recommend Chantix to patients who are to quit smoking. Chantix is a drug released by Pfizer Inc. in 2006 and is considered to have the highest efficiency in combating this vice. The issue is that, despite the praise about its proficiency, its side effects are worrisome. More>>>

Pfizer relaunches ads for smoking cessation drug Chantix

- Star Ledger

05/07/2008 - Pfizer yanked ads for its smoking cessation drug Chantix earlier this year because of safety concerns -- specifically, reports that taking the drug could lead to behavioral changes, depression and even suicidal thoughts in some patients. More>>>

Chantix Caused Veteran’s Depression

- Lawyers and Settlements

05/01/2008 - When John came back from Kuwait a few months ago, his VA doctor said that Chantix was the 'Number 1' drug to quit smoking. He neglected to tell John of the side effects, such as depression and suicidal thoughts. More>>>

Anti-addiction drugs linked to depression
- Daily Times
04/28/2008 - Pills that aimed to help people quit smoking, lose weight and kick other tough addictions, have been found to block the body’s pleasure centres, possibly raising the risk of depression and suicide. More>>>

The Hell of Chantix: In Their Own Words
-LawyersandSettlements
04/24/2008 - There is nothing more compelling than someone's own story, and the stories involving Chantix and its Canadian and European counterpart Chantix, abound. More>>>

Anti-smoking drug has ties to serious mental illness
-The Daily Telegram
04/18/2008 - Melinda and Kenny Peterson wanted to kick their two-pack-a-day smoking habit. In early January, the Green Bay couple started taking three-month prescriptions of Chantix, a new anti-smoking pill. About six weeks later, they weren’t smoking at all. More>>>

Man Kills Self While Taking Anti-Smoking Drug
-Fox News
04/17/2008 - Omer Jama, 39, of Bolton, England, was a Sky Sports video editor who was taking the drug to try and kick his pack-a-day habit, the U.K.'s Daily Mail reports. More>>>

Dark side of pill to help smokers kick habit
-Star Ledger, NJ
02/25/2008 -When Pfizer's anti-smoking pill Chantix came on the market 18 months ago, it was touted as more effective than existing treatments at helping break the deadly nicotine addiction. More>>>

Pfizer's Chantix Warning: Hazardous To Mental Health?
-CNBC
01/18/2008 - This doesn't come as any big surprise, but Pfizer announced this morning that it is putting a warning--and that's the company's word--on the label of its stop-smoking pill Chantix. It says people taking the drug should be watched for "serious neuropsychiatric symptoms, including changes in behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior." More>>>