FDA Says Connection Between Chantix & Serious Psychiatric Problems “Increasingly Likely”

Article on cnn.com — FDA wary of Pfizer anti-smoking drug.  Here’s an excerpt:

Government regulators said Friday the connection between Pfizer’s anti-smoking drug Chantix and serious psychiatric problems is “increasingly likely.”

The Food and Drug Administration said it has received reports of 37 suicides and more than 400 of suicidal behavior in connection with the drug. In November, the agency began investigating reports of depression, agitation and suicidal behavior among patients taking the popular twice-daily pill.

The agency’s announcement comes two weeks after Pfizer added stronger warnings to the drug. In doing so, the company stressed that a direct link between Chantix and the reported psychiatric problems has not been established, but could not be ruled out.

These findings come as no surprise to me, given the over 140 comments on my original post about Chantix in November 2006.  Those comments detail terrible tales of people’s difficulty with this drug.  No other post on the Mass Tort Litigation blog has generated so much feedback from potential plaintiffs.  And those posts started nearly immediately and have continued steadily nearly every day. 

BGS