Lawsuits Blame Injuries on Stop-Smoking Drug Chantix

The Pfizer Inc smoking-cessation drug Chantix caused users to either attempt suicide or successfully kill themselves, according to three lawsuits filed today.

The separate suits were filed in New York State Supreme Court claiming Pfizer failed to adequately notify users and doctors about the risks of depression, suicidal thoughts, and other known side effects of the drug. The plaintiffs also allege later warnings added to the Chantix packaging were inadequate to protect patients, according to Reuters news.

“Defendant intentionally, recklessly, and/or negligently concealed, suppressed, omitted, and/or misrepresented the risks, dangers, defects and disadvantages of Chantix,” said attorney Marc Grossman who is representing the plaintiffs in the three lawsuits.

Federal Chantix Injury Lawsuits Consolidated

Last year, 37 federal lawsuits already filed against Pfizer across the U.S. for Chantix-related injuries were consolidated into a Multidistrict Litigation group in the Northern District of Alabama for pre-trial rulings. The state claims filed Thursday in New York will not be lumped together with the consolidated federal claims, attorneys said.

Chantix Linked to User Injuries

Chantix was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006 and has been used by many smokers looking to kick their habits. However, sales of the drug have sagged in recent years after reports of users experiencing vivid dreams and hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, and aggressive behavior.

In one high-profile case, Carter Albrecht — a well-known Dallas musician and member of Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians – was shot and killed on September 3, 2007 while acting strangely aggressive outside a neighbor’s house. Albrecht’s family later filed their own lawsuit blaming his bizarre behavior that night on his use of Chantix to stop smoking.

Thousands of other Chantix users have made similar claims against Pfizer seeking financial compensation for injuries to themselves or loved ones.

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