Chantix

The Nature of the Drug: Chantix, manufactured by Pfizer, Inc., was the first nicotine-receptor agonist to be marketed in the United States. Approved by the FDA in 2006 to help people stop smoking, the drug blocks nicotine receptors, which helps break the user’s dependence on nicotine while also making smoking less appealing. Chantix patches and pills are often prescribed when other means of stopping smoking have failed.


The Hazards of Chantix: Chantix patients have experienced erratic behavior, suicidal thoughts, and depression. The drug’s major side effects include violent acting out and suicidal thinking, and hundreds of such cases have been reported. The elevated risk of suicide and attempted suicide prompted the FDA in 2009 to require a black-box warning on Chantix packaging advising patients of those and other mental-health risks.

Chantix may also lead to a heart attack or stroke, since a September 2006 study found that one in twenty Chantix users will experience a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular problem. Other research also links the drug to cardiovascular disease.
Some Chantix users have reported less severe side effects, such as mild depression, constipation, gas, and nausea. Sleep disorders, abnormal dreams, and vomiting have also been reported.

Plaintiffs in Chantix lawsuits charge that they were not warned about the risk of the side effects.

To Obtain Legal Relief: People who took Chantix to stop smoking but who experienced a stroke, heart attack, another heart condition, or mental-health problems may have valuable legal rights. That is also true if a loved one died while using the drug. Attorney Stephen A. Katz is available at (800) 251-3529 for a free consultation, or for legal representation.