Three personal injury lawsuits, recently filed against Pfizer, claim its smoking-cessation drug, Chantix caused users to commit or attempt suicide.
Filed in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan, the suits claim Pfizer failed to notify patients and doctors about dangers the company allegedly knew about the drug – including suicidal thoughts and depression – at the time the plaintiffs took the drug.
Although the company added warnings to its package insert, the suit claims the drug label is still inadequate.
Two lawsuits claim the plaintiffs tried to kill themselves as a result of using Chantix. The third is a wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of Indiana resident Annette Pine, claiming she committed suicide after using Chantix.
The lawsuits seek trials by jury, punitive and compensatory damages, medical and legal expenses, and, in Pine’s case, funeral expenses.
Chantix (varenicline) was approved by the FDA in 2006 as a prescription treatment to help people quit smoking. It acts at sites in the brain affected by nicotine.
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