Anti-Smoking Drug Chantix Gets Further Scrutiny for Heart Risks
July 5, 2011
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may add new warnings to Phizer’s anti-smoking prescription drug Chantix now that a study has determined that the drug increases the risk of hospitalizations for heart problems by 72 percent.
The study was conducted by researchers in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins University who looked at 8,216 people who were taking Chantix and determined that 1 in 400 of these people had a new heart attack or similar disorder.
“I stopped prescribing Chantix several months ago, as soon as we found out about this data,” said Sonal Singh, the lead author of the study who practices medicine at Johns Hopkins. “I’m not saying that nobody should use it, but I think people should have this information. They should decide whether the risk is acceptable to them.”
The FDA Office of Drug Evaluation Director Curtis Rosenbraugh told the Associated Press that the FDA is now analyzing the study to determine whether or not it should add new warnings to the medication.
In 2009 the FDA warned consumers that Chantix might cause an increase in suicides and erratic behavior, and just last month a warning was added for patients taking Chantix who have a history of heart disease.
In an emailed statement a Phizer rep argues that “the health benefits of quitting smoking are immediate and substantial,” adding that they believe the study misinterpreted data.
If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chantix drug injury in Indiana, the Chantix drug injury lawyers at Woods and Woods can help.
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