Chantix Faced With Varying Side Effect Lawsuits

There are a number of Chantix lawsuits filed individually in state courts due to Chantix suicide and other side effects. These plaintiffs are seeking compensation for their injuries from drugmaking giant Pfizer and Pfizer is doing its best to defend itself, allowing the Food and Drug Administration to place a black box warning on their product in 2009, which is the strongest warning the Food and Drug Administration is allowed to give short of recalling the drug. Many Chantix plaintiffs are bereaved family members of those who have committed suicide, but some are the ones affected by the drug themselves—many people who have attempted suicide or seriously harmed themselves or others as a result of Chantix are filing suit against Pfizer.

The first lawsuit relating to Chantix suicide was filed in July 2008 in federal court in Indiana. A man with no history or symptoms of mental illness committed suicide after taking Chantix for a few months. Multiple Chantix suicide lawsuits have been filed since then around the country. In October 2009, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated the Chantix related federal lawsuits before a single court in Alabama. Chantix may also impair the brain’s ability to derive enjoyment from other safe activities. The lack of enjoyment causes depression and suicidal thoughts. Scientists and researchers are still studying Chantix’s effect on other brain receptors.

Most Chantix lawsuits deal with suicide attempts and other psychological side effects of the drug, although heart attack and diabetes have also been reported. The irony of Chantix heart attack is that many smokers wish to quit smoking to preserve their cardiovascular health; a drug that has the potential to help them quit smoking can contribute to heart problems. Although Chantix is an exceptionally effective drug—often touted as the most effective smoking cessation drug on the market, with very high rates of success based on clinical trials—the popularity of it puts more and more people at risk for side effects. The FDa has directed Pfizer to conduct further clinical trials on Chantix, but these results are not expected until 2017.

Virginia Man Joins Chantix Litigation

A Virginia man has become one of the most recent plaintiffs to file suit against drug manufacturer Pfizer due to side effects he suffered as a result of smoking cessation drug Chantix. With the help of a Chantix lawyer, Jonathan L. Wince filed suit on the 5th of January, 2012, in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland. According to the claim filed by his Chantix lawyer, Wince has been the victim of several serious Chantix side effects. His case joins a number of others that have already been filed because of serious Chantix psychological side effects. 

Luckily for Wince and his loved ones, his case did not become a Chantix suicide lawsuit. A number of patients have actually committed suicide and their family members are taking legal action against Pfizer because of this, claiming that Chantix caused or contributed to their loved one's suicide. Wince experienced suicidal thoughts, however, along with a number of other side effects: severe emotional distress, panic attacks, lethargy, confusion, Chantix depression, Chantix suicidal thoughts, memory loss, anxiety, aggression, manic behavior, physical pain, and intestinal bleeding. He allegedly began experiencing these things after being prescribed the drug to help him quit smoking on January 3, 2009. 

Wince's Chantix lawsuit is seeking damages from Pfizer, $5 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive ones. One of the allegations brought up by Wince's Chantix lawyer is that Pfizer was negligent in clinical testing and in warning patients of the potential risk. Clinical testing for Chantix excluded patients with a history of mental illness, even though these people are unusually likely to use Chantix and also more likely to experience some of the more severe Chantix side effects. The lawsuit also claims that Pfizer knew or should have known of the risks associated with Chantix and should have warned patients more thoroughly of the potential side effects. 

Cited in the lawsuit are studies linking Chantix to psychological side effects, including research that showed patients using Chantix were three times more likely to experience Chantix suicidal thoughts in clinical trials than patients who were taking a placebo.

Chantix Violence and Other Side Effects on the Rise

Chantix, the smoking cessation drug, has been linked with increased amounts of side effects, including episodes of violence. This may well lead to Chantix-related lawsuits.

Chantix (also known as varenicline) was approved in the U.S. by the FDA in 2006. Since that time, there have been numerous reports of serious Chantix-related side effects, including depression, abnormal behavior, and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Perhaps the most disturbing report was that of Texas musician Carter Albrecht, who in 2007, experienced a sudden onset of Chantix-related violence and delusions. This led to his shooting death when he attempted to break into his neighbor’s home. This became a highly publicized case, with much media coverage. In its aftermath, the FDA in 2007 reviewed Chantix’s safety, and in 2008, issued an official public safety advisory. It warned that it may be increasingly likely that Chantix may cause serious neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Chantix Lawyers' Cases Bolstered by Chantix Suicide Study

A study published in the Nov. 2, 2011 issue of PLoS One (the Public Library of Science Journal) shows that Pfizer's quit-smoking drug Chantix is eight times more likely to be linked to suicidal behavior or depression than other smoking cessation aids. This finding greatly supports the claims of Chantix suicide lawsuits. The study was done by a group of U.S. researchers from several institutions, including the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

This new study is particularly significant because it contradicts the findings of two previous FDA studies. In the FDA studies, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense studied the Chantix side effects of 26,000 people who had taken either Chantix or another quit-smoking drug. The studies compared Chantix side effects to the other medications' side effects, and concluded that there was not enough evidence to prove that Chantix caused Chantix depression or Chantix suicide. This finding was likely to hinder Chantix suicide lawsuits.

Pfizer to Blame for Wrongful Death, Florida Chantix Lawsuit Charges

A Chantix wrongful death Florida lawsuit blames Pfizer, the maker of the anti-smoking drug Chantix, for the death of Cynthia E. Ray, who died in a car accident. Her husband, Mark Reavis, alleges that her car accident was caused by psychological Chantix side effects, which can include mood swings and blackouts.

According to the Chantix wrongful death Florida lawsuit, Cynthia E. Ray began taking Chantix in April of 2009 at the advice of her doctor to help her stop smoking. Soon after she began taking the drug, she began to experience some of its negative Chantix psychological problems, which can include depression, blackouts, mood swings, and suicidal thoughts or behavior. Ray told her family that the drug was making her feel “crazy”, and she became hostile, depressed, and withdrawn, avoiding social functions and withdrawing from family and friends. Her husband, Mark Reavis, was on active duty with the military at the time.

Chantix Suicide Link Strengthened by New Study

A team of researchers is calling on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to beef up warnings for Chantix side effects, after their study found the drug’s psychological side effects make it unsuitable for first-line use as a smoking-cessation aid. The FDA, however, continues to maintain that Chantix is a safe and effective way to help smokers quit. The team analyzed 3,249 case reports of serious injury included in the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System from 1998 through September 2010 for self-injurious behavior or depression linked to Chantix psychological problems. Zyban, an antidepressant approved for smoking cessation, and nicotine replacement products. They found that since 1998, 90 percent of the cases of suicidal behavior or depression were linked to Chantix. In comparison, only 7 percent were associated with Zyban, and 3 percent were linked to nicotine replacement products.

There have been many reports of users of the drug committing suicide or inflicting injury on themselves or others while using Chantix. Chantix lawyers allege that Pfizer has failed to adequately warn users about the risk of Chantix suicide side effects. Their actions have prevented people from recognizing the thoughts that may be caused by the drug before it resulted in serious physical injury or death. Prior to introducing the medication, Pfizer specifically excluded from Chantix safety and efficacy trials many people who were potential target users of the drug, including those with a history of drug or alcohol abuse, those with cardiovascular disease within six months and those recently treated for psychiatric symptoms like depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis or panic disorders.

Hundreds of Chantix lawsuits filed in federal district courts throughout the United States are consolidated as part of a multidistrict litigation, or MDL, which is centralized before U.S. District Judge Inge Johnson in the Northern District of Alabama. As the litigation moves forward, Chantix lawyers are continuing to review and file cases on behalf of individuals who suffered serious or fatal injuries that may have been caused by the psychological effects of the drug. More than a two dozen new Chantix complaints have been filed against Pfizer this month in the Northern District of Alabama, and the number of lawsuits included in the Chantix litigation is expected to continue to grow.

Will New, Cheaper “Quit Smoking” Drug Have Similar Side Effects To Chantix Suicide?

Cysticine is being hailed as a new, cheaper alternative to Chantix as a drug to help smokers kick the habit. However, the drug is actually chemically similar to Chantix, which raises concerns that as more people begin using it, it may be found to have negative side effects similar to those that have been attributed to Chantix, such as Chantix suicide, mood swings, depression, and aggressive behavior – side effects which have led to numerous Chantix side effects lawsuits.

Chantix is manufactured by the Pfizer drug company. Pfizer is currently conducting a large-scale study of Chantix side effects, but the results of that study will not be available until 2017.

 In nature, cysticine is found in the seeds of the Laburnum anagyroides, also called Golden Rain, a breed of small deciduous trees or bushes. Cysticine is considered mildly toxic. Cysticine has actually been around for quite a long time: it was first marketed in Bulgaria in 1964, and within five years was being marketed in Eastern and Central Europe as well.

Cysticine does seem to be at least somewhat effective in helping people quit smoking. The New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a study which showed that 8.4 percent of study participants were able to quit smoking for a year vs. 2.4 percent of participants who were given a placebo. This success rate is similar to that of Chantix. The study showed only minor side effects, such as dry mouth, nausea, and upset stomach. However, the study used only a small sample; questions remain as to what other, less common side effects might appear if a larger number of people were taking cysticine. In the case of Chantix, the more serious side effects showed up only after large numbers of people were using the drug, which resulted in Chantix Psychological problems and other side effects lawsuits.

In addition, cysticine is chemically similar to Chantix. Chantix (varenicline) is an analog to cysticine: it was synthesized in the laboratory with the express goal of being similar to cysticine, but with improved bioavailability. This raises concerns that cysticine may cause the same type of side effects as Chantix, leading to lawsuits similar to the Chantix side effects lawsuits.

Chantix Lawsuits After Suicide

Chantix has been referred to as one of the most dangerous drugs on the market today. Many people wonder how this can be--after all, Chantix is meant to be used by smokers to help them quit the habit. Quitting smoking is a step many people take in order to try to be healthier, and something that is beneficial to that process is not the first thing anyone has in mind when it comes to serious side effects. But Chantix comes with a slew of risks--long term side effects of Chantix are present and cases have been so numerous that a Chantix class action lawsuit has been filed.

One of the many Chantix lawsuits was filed by plaintiff Brian Kline on July of 2008. He, not unlike many Chantix patients, began taking the drug in order to have an easier time quitting smoking. He has brought nine claims against drug maker Pfizer, a range of accusations that include breach of warranty and strict liability. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Only negligence is a legitimate claim for damages against a pharmaceutical manufacturer is a legitimate charge to claim in Pennsylvania, and most of Kline's claims were dismissed in October of 2008 for this reason. Although Kline and his Chantix lawyer did take further steps and file a motion for partial reconsideration, the motion was recently denied.

Long List of Life Altering Side-Effects Linked to Chantix

Chantix (varenicline) is a prescription medication designed to help people quit smoking. It was approved in 2006 and has quickly become a very popular medication for people who have had a difficult time breaking their smoking addiction. By blocking the receptors commonly stimulated by nicotine, Chantix reduces the positive feelings that come from cigarettes. Since its release, Chantix has come under serious scrutiny due to a myriad of serious side-effects associated with the drug. Although Pfizer had high hopes that the medication would become a top selling drug for the pharmaceutical company, concerns about serious and potentially life-threatening side effects of Chantix have limited use of the medication.

Chantix Side Effects Reported More and are More Dangerous than All Other Drugs

Chantix (varenicline) was approved in the United States by the FDA in 2006 as a prescription medication to help people quit smoking. The drug works by reducing the positive feelings that come from cigarettes, blocking the receptors in the brain commonly stimulated by nicotine. However, the impact of the drug on the brain has resulted in a number of reports from users who experienced sudden, unusually aggressive behavior, thoughts of self-harm and in extreme cases, Chantix suicide. Growing concerns over the drug have led to an ongoing investigation into the Chantix side effects in the United States. The FDA indicated that their review of data indicates it is “increasingly likely that there may be an association between Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms.”This data may help a victim and Chantix lawyer regarding their odds of being granted compensation from the drug maker as a result of these psychological side effects. 

Chantix Psychological Side Effects Plague Patients

One of the most widely-publicized legal issues in the country at this time is the ever-growing multidistrict litigation against smoking cessation drug Chantix. Initially a successful and promising drug, Chantix users more and more began to notice side effects related to the medication, some of which have proven fatal. Most of the Chantx lawsuit against drugmaker Pfizer deal with alleges that the patient has experienced some form of Chantix psychological problems, which have been known to include depression, rage, mood swings, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and suicide. 

The most serious of these side effects is, obviously, suicide, and lawsuits involving suicide and suicide attempts are likely to be the most successful in a court of law. However, Chantix has other deadly side effects as well—including heart attack and diabetes. Like with most personal injury cases, the cases that are most likely to be successful are the ones that involve the most serious personal injury or long-term repercussions. Bereaved families whose loved one passed away because of Chantix side effects are more likely to be awarded a settlement than patients

Chantix Side Effects Lawsuits Slam Popular Drug

The smoking cessation drug Chantix looked like it was poised to be a success when it was first introduced to the market. Unlike many smoking cessation products, it proved extremely successful against a placebo during early clinical trials. However, for some Chantix patients, they are getting more than they bargain for—while making a desperate attempt to improve their health, some of these patients might accidentally be sentencing themselves to Chantix attempted suicide death. Chantix attempted suicide for them while they want to quit smoking.

Chantix was not tested during initial clinical trials on patients with a history of mental illness, although there are statistics that show that people with psychological problems or a history of psychological problems are more likely to be smokers than people without psychological problems. It is the former category that is more likely to experience psychological Chantix side effects. Depression, violent rages, sudden mood swings, aggression, and suicidal thoughts or Chantix suicide ideations.

Chantix Lawyers Discouraged by FDA Announcement?

The Food and Drug Administration has recently conducted two studies attempting to link the smoking cessation drug Chantix with psychological side effects that have been associated with the medication. However, both of these studies seem to have come up with nothing. Although this might discourage some plaintiffs who have filed lawsuits against Chantix drugmaker Pfizer, because they think that this might put an end to their lawsuits. Chantix personal injury lawyers dealing with these cases are feeling the pressure as well. However, there are some flaws in the Food and Drug Administration’s research that some people may have overlooked.

The Food and Drug Administration only conducted studies on Chantix patients who were hospitalized for depression and other possible psychological Chantix side effects. However, there may be a number of patients who are feeling the symptoms of the Chantix side effects, but do not want to get help or are not feeling them seriously enough to warrant hospitalization. In addition, some of the most serious allegations against Pfizer are Chantix suicide and Chantix attempted suicide—most of which occurred when the patient’s depression

Are Side Effects of Chantix Better Than Risk of Smoking While Pregnant?

Though the effects of Chantix have not been proved, it is not advised for the prescription to be used in pregnant women as there are indications that Chantix can be excreted in the mother’s milk and may lead to adverse side effects on the fetus. According to an independent report from the non-profit Institute for Same Medication Practices, within two years of its approval, Chantix was associated with more adverse event reports than any other medication, including drugs like fentanyl, oxycodone and other drugs used for serious illnesses. Towards the end of last year, less than two years after it was first introduced by Pfizer, concerns began to emerge about the side effects of Chantix, when a number of adverse events were reported about users committing suicide, having suicidal thoughts and unusual aggressive behavior on Chantix.

Colorado Murders Argued To Be Caused By Chantix

Since its approval in May 2006, many people have turned to Chantix to stop smoking. While the medication was initially presented as one with very few side effects, Chantix has since been associated with numerous reports of suicides and other potentially serious injuries caused by unusual Chantix mood swings and behavior while taking the drug. Pfizer, the drug’s maker, failed to warn consumers about these psychological side effects of Chantix, and lawsuits are being reviewed nationwide on behalf of users who suffered a serious physical injury or death as a result of suicide. Experts say that people suffering from depression and mental problems are more likely to smoke and

Cases Build for Chantix Suicides and Suicide Attempts, FDA Ups Warning

Shortly after Chantix was introduced, an alarming number of reports were received by the FDA MedWatch adverse event reporting system involving users who committed suicide on Chantix or suddenly attempted suicide, despite no prior history of psychological problems. In November 2007, the FDA issued an early communication regarding an emerging safety concern which linked the use of Chantix and suicide, suicidal thoughts and sudden changes in behavior. In February 2008, the FDA issued a statement which suggested that their evaluation indicates it is “increasingly likely that there may be an association between Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms.” In July 2009, the FDA required Pfizer to add a prominently displayed boxed warning stating the possible side effects of Chantix including behavior changes, depression, hostility and suicidal thoughts, which is the

Heart Attacks Just Now Understood As Chantix Side Effect

Last month, the FDA did take some action on risks associated with Chantix cardiovascular problems by warning that people with pre-existing heart problems could face a higher risk of cardiovascular events if they take the drug. The information, which was added to the “Warnings and Precautions” section of the Chantix label, was based on a study that assessed Chantix for smoking cessation in 700 patients aged 35 to 75 years with stable, documented cardiovascular disease. Chantix was approved in the United States by the FDA in 2006 as a prescription medication to help people quit smoking. The drug works by reducing the positive feelings that come from cigarettes, blocking the receptors in the brain commonly stimulated by nicotine. However, the impact of the drug on the brain has resulted in a number of reports from users who experienced sudden, unusually aggressive behavior, thoughts of self-harm and extreme cases, Chantix suicide.

Chantix Suicide Most Critical Side Effect of Quit Smoking Drug

In 2008 The FDA announced a public health advisory about abnormal behavior, agitation, Chantix depression, suicidal ideation, and actual suicidal behavior with Pfizer’s anti-smoking drug. The FDA provided updated numbers - 491 cases of suicidal thinking or behavior, including 420 in the US and of those, there were 39 suicides, including 34 in the US. Many of the cases were reported for patients without any prior history of psychiatric illness. Government scientists are conducting further investigating into the drug and, specifically, the reports of Chantix suicide and suicidal ideation. Chantix, approved in 2006, works by blocking nicotine receptors to the brain. Chantix is the first such nicotine receptor partial agonist approved by the FDA. It was heralded as an alternative to other smoking cessation drugs and nicotine replacement therapy.

Chantix Heart Attack Evidence Mounting

Many users of the popular smoking cessation drug are familiar with the adverse Chantix side effects that have been linked to the drug, including psychological conditions and cardiovascular problems.  These risks  include suicidal thoughts, suicide, increased rage or aggression, depression, and mood swings as well as Chantix heart attack, vascular disease, angina pectoris, and coronary revascularization. These problems, particularly the ones related to heart problems, can also manifest in smokers because of the smoking itself, making filing lawsuits regarding Chantix heart problems a little more tricky than they might otherwise be.

Chantix Multidistrict Litigation Inching Forward

Although Chantix litigation has been consolidated in multidistrict litigation, as presided over by District Judge Inge P. Johnson, since October of 2009, many plaintiffs and other interested parties are unaware of the progress it has been making since it was consolidated. At the time of the consolidation, which was requested in July of 2009, there were only 34 Chantix lawsuits involved. Now, there are more than 1,200 that have been filed in courts across the country and are being consolidated in multidistrict litigation, which will combine pretrial processes in similar cases in order to expedite the legal process.

            Most Chantix cases involved in multidistrict litigation are related to Chantix suicide and suicide attempts, which is one of the more common psychological side effects of the popular smoking cessation aid. However, there are a multitude of other Chantix side effects listed as