Chantix (Champix) woes continue in UK
November 28th, 2008 joshua
The reports of adverse reactions to Pfizer’s stop-smoking drug Chantix (sold in Canada and Europe as Champix) are piling up in the U.K.
A BBC report states at least 3,000 people currently taking Champix have reported severe depression, and the article details the suicidal efforts of at least two of those reports - one which ended in the death of a young man from Manchester, England. In total, about 16 people in the U.K. have attempted suicide and 10 have been successful.
Millions of prescriptions have been written for the smoking cessation drug and as that amount increases, so does the frequency of reported adverse reactions.
Chantix has been linked to severe depression and suicidal thoughts and tendencies. In the U.S., the drug has resulted in odd and aggressive behavior, along with suicidal acts.
In the BBC report, one U.K. woman tried to hang herself in the middle of the night, only to be discovered by her daughter and rescued by her husband.
In the U.S., a D.C. man - just a few days into his Chantix treatment - found himself engaged in an armed standoff with police.
At least one U.S. injury attorney has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer, claiming - as his clients do - that the drug company has not done enough to warn people of these very serious side effects. The lawyer told the BBC he has at least 20 clients who’ve acted completely out-of-character when they started their Chantix treatment, including a 40-year-old man who shot himself fatally in the face.
Despite all these cases, and those that have gone unreported, Chantix (Champix) remains one of the more popular prescriptions worldwide.
