Kristian Rasmussen January 16th, 2009
Kristian Rasmussen, a veteran pharmaceutical litigation attorney with the law firm Cory Watson Crowder & DeGaris said, “The magnitude of the health risks associated with Chantix is alarming – we are trying to determine whether the drug maker, Pfizer, failed to disclose information it may have had about adverse side effects.” Rasmussen said his team, that includes pharmaceutical and medical experts along with attorneys, has been investigating reports of devastating side effects for more than a year. “What we are finding is that the magnitude of the safety signal associated with using Chantix is alarming both in terms of severity of injury and the number of different serious reactions,” said Rasmussen. For more information please contact attorney Kristian Rasmussen by email (Krasmussen@cwcd.com) or calltoll free 1-800-852-6299.
Kristian Rasmussen January 14th, 2009
In May, 2007, Dr. John Spangler, director of Tobacco Intervention Programs at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. raised concerns about the safety of Chantix by “bring[ing] them to the attention of the medical community, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Pfizer, the company that manufactures the drug.” (7/12/08 ABC News Medical Unit: “FDA, Pfizer Told of Chantix Safety Concerns a Year Ago”) Chantix is an anti-smoking drug linked to cases of suicide and other serious side effects. For more information please contact attorney Kristian Rasmussen by email (Krasmussen@cwcd.com) or call toll free 1-800-852-6299.
Kristian Rasmussen January 13th, 2009
The active ingredient in Chantix® is varenicline tartrate which “was derived from cytosine.” Cytosine has been around for decades as a smoking cessation drug in Eastern European Countries. Cytisine [marketed in Europe as Tabex®] is a compound derived from the plant, cytisus laburnum that served as “the starting point” for varenicline. What Pfizer knew or should have known is that reports have been documented as early as 1972 linking cytosine (the derivative of the active ingredient in Chantix®) to cases of suicide and attempted suicide. . For more information please contact attorney Kristian Rasmussen by email (Krasmussen@cwcd.com) or call toll free 1-800-852-6299.
Kristian Rasmussen January 12th, 2009
Chantix® is indicated for use as “an aid to smoking cessation treatment” and marketed as a “prescription medication to help adults stop smoking.” Smokers are addicted to nicotine because they receive bursts of nicotine when they inhale which, coincidentally, triggers an immediate increase of dopamine thus creating the craving and perceived pleasure from smoking. Chantix® works by specifically inhibiting pleasure receptors in the brain. That is, Chantix® works as a both an “agonist” and “antagonist” to decrease nicotine craving and the psychological rewards associated with smokers. Put simply, as an “agonist” Chantix is supposed to reduce nicotine craving and withdrawal symptoms while simultaneously working as an “antagonist” to reduce the psychological reward associated with smoking in patients that relapse. Chantix has been linked to suicide and other serious side effects . For more information please contact attorney Kristian Rasmussen by email (Krasmussen@cwcd.com) or call toll free 1-800-852-6299.
Kristian Rasmussen January 9th, 2009
Controversial anti-smoking drug Chantix was positioned by Pfizer to become a “blockbuster” drug. “The global quit smoking market analysis and forecast report that examines the smoking cessation market in various countries such as UK, Spain, Australia, US, Japan, Canada et al reveals that the Pfizer anti-smoking drug Chantix is slated to be the market’s ” blockbuster medicine.” In fact, in a public statement from Pfizer in July 2007, the company described Chantix as a “key new product, deliver[ing] strong revenues …” The profit projections come as Chantix comes under fire after being linked to suicide, suicide ideation and other serious side effects.
For more information please contact attorney Kristian Rasmussen by email (Krasmussen@cwcd.com) or call toll free 1-800-852-6299.
Kristian Rasmussen January 8th, 2009
In May, 2007, Dr. John Spangler, director of Tobacco Intervention Programs at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. raised concerns about the safety of Chantix by “bring[ing] them to the attention of the medical community, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Pfizer, the company that manufactures the drug.” (7/12/08 ABC News Medical Unit: “FDA, Pfizer Told of Chantix Safety Concerns a Year Ago”) Throughout the entire year of 2007, Doctors with the Department of Veterans Affairs “began raising red flags last year
about whether the smoking-cessation drug Chantix was causing severe psychotic episodes.” (7/8/08 Washington Times: “Doctors Worried by Chantix in ‘07”) For more information please contact attorney Kristian Rasmussen by email (Krasmussen@cwcd.com) or calltoll free 1-800-852-6299.
Kristian Rasmussen January 7th, 2009
Chantix sales and profits have increased exponentially, despite reports that the anti-smoking drug is linked to suicide and other devastating side effects. The FDA granted Chantix® an “accelerated review,” and it was approved for use in the United States in May 2006. Before approval by the FDA, Pfizer began marketing Chantix® as “the first new prescription treatment for smoking cessation in nearly a decade.” Chantix sales grew from 2.5 million U.S. patients on June 15, 2007 to 6 million patients worldwide on June 17, 2008. In a 10K filing, Pfizer noted Chantix® revenues rose 773 percent in one year (from $101 million in 2006 to $883 million in 2007). Pfizer earned $241 million in the 3rd quarter of 2007 alone. Chantix profit has increased from $101 million (2006) to $883 million (2007). For more information please contact attorney
Kristian Rasmussen by email (Krasmussen@cwcd.com) or call toll free 1-800-852-6299.
Kristian Rasmussen January 6th, 2009
Chantix is a controversial anti-smoking drug manufactured by Pfizer. On May 21, 2008, Sidney Wolfe, M.D., Director of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen released a statement urging the FDA to require a “Black Box Warning [to be placed on Chantix] about the adverse effects including warning against driving … the adverse psychiatric effects such as suicidal thoughts or actions, depression and agitation and serious adverse skin reactions ….” Suicides believed to be linked to Chantix have prompted a number of lawsuits. For more information please contact attorney Kristian Rasmussen by email (Krasmussen@cwcd.com) or call toll free 1-800-852-6299.
Kristian Rasmussen January 5th, 2009
Kaiser Permanente, one of the nations largest HMOs does not recommend Chantix as a first line treatment option for patients trying to quit smoking. Dr. Sean Jones heads a committee that assesses drugs for Kaiser Permanente. According to Dr. Jones, “Kaiser doctors can continue to use the pill [Chantix] though ‘it shoult not be the first’ choice.” After a thorough analysis and exhaustive examination including two meta-analysis (one meta-analysis included 52 randomized controlled trials the other meta-analysis included 11 ramdomized controlled trials, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Scottis Medicine Consortium (SMC) concluded “it is premature to regard varenicline [Chantix] as the first-line choice” in considering various other treatment options as an aid to smoking cessation.”
Kristian Rasmussen January 2nd, 2009
Chantix® (varenicline) , manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc.is the subject of regulatory action in Canada. In April, 2008, Health Canada (the regulatory agency responsible for prescription drugs) announced, “The Canadian Product Monograph for varenicline was recently revised to indicate that there have been postmarket reports of depressed mood, agitation, changes in behaviour, suicidal ideation and suicide.” Between April 2007 (Chantix first launched onto the market for sale in Canada as Champix) and April 30, 2008, Health Canada received “a total of 226 Canadian cases of neuropsychiatric adverse events . For the same time period, there have been 708 534 prescriptions filled for CHAMPIX in Canada.” For more information please contact attorney Kristian Rasmussen by email (Krasmussen@cwcd.com) or calling toll free 1-800-852-6299.