Chantix or Champix, known also as Varenicline Tartrate, is a medication prescribed to patients seeking to end their smoking addiction. It does this by reducing cravings and decreasing the pleasurable effects of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Common side effects include nausea, headache, difficulty sleeping and abnormal dreams. It is estimated that there are 3 million Americans taking Chantix now, according to Pfizer. In November 2007, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) began investigating reports of depression, agitation and suicidal behavior among patients taking the medicine, after they had received reports of 37 suicides and more than 400 of suicidal behaviors that might have been linked to Chantix. According to the FDA, a link between Chantix and serious psychiatric complications is becoming progressively probable.
Additionally, the drug may further worsen preexisting psychiatric illness or cause a recurrence of past issues. Pfizer contends that these episodes of irrational behavior have been caused by nicotine withdrawal, however, the FDA's findings stated that even those patients who had continued smoking had similar psychiatric episodes. Most recently, the FDA has been evaluating reports that in addition to erratic behavior in patients taking Chantix, suicidal thoughts, depression, and changes in the emotional state are present in many cases, setting in within days to weeks of beginning the treatment.
FDA Issues Chantix Public Health Advisory
On February 1st, 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory, giving new information about the risks of taking the prescription medicine Chantix, or Varencline Tartrate. Further, it reiterated the necessity of communication between patients and their doctors regarding previous psychiatric illness, stating again that Varencline could not only be responsible for new conditions, but also exacerbate existing conditions or rekindle previous conditions. Patients taking Chantix should immediately report changes in mood and behavior to their doctor.
read more
New Therapy Treats Lung Cancer
The results of an international Phase III clinical trial on the effects of an oral prescription medication as a treatment of lung cancer has concluded that the drug is just as effective, if not more so among certain tumor patients, than that of chemotherapy, according to reports from a Science Daily article. However, while Iressa appears to be on par with the chemotherapy treatment, scientists found that lung cancer patients who suffered from tumors with EGFR gene mutations and who were given Iressa had "an improved response rate and progression-free survival compared to docetaxel," according to researchers of the study who spoke with Science Daily . In addition to this method, there are several varieties of nicotine replacement therapies (NRT), both prescription and non-prescription, that can assist a smoker in succeeding with quitting their tobacco addiction.
read more
View the Chantix Law Articles page here
Chantix FDA Information
Varenicline (marketed as Chantix) Information
Public Health Advisory: Important Information on Chantix (varenicline)
View the
Chantix FDA Information
page here
Chantix News Articles
Pfizer acts to stop Mylan marketing generic Chantix; Allergan in $600 million settlement over Botox marketing practices - Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology News - Pharma Letter
Health Briefs
View the
Chantix News Articles
page here
Chantix Newsfeeds
Pfizer To Acquire Encysive For About $195 Mln Cash; Plans Late Stage ...
Pfizer To Acquire Encysive For About $195 Mln Cash; Plans Late Stage ...
View the
Chantix Newsfeeds
page here
Chantix Wikipedia
Varenicline
Smoking cessation
View the
Chantix Wikipedia
page here
