Chantix, a drug to help users quit smoking, has been found to be the cause for several suicides or attempts at the act. The drug is made by Pfizer, Inc. and was approved by the FDA in 2006. Several suits filed in the New York State Supreme Court claim that Pfizer failed to properly notify doctors and patients about the serious risk of depression or suicidal thoughts and other side effects. "’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," according to attorneyatlaw.com.
Last year, 37 federal lawsuits filed against the company were consolidated into a Multidistrict Litigation group, but the state claims filed in New York will not be included in this grouping.
Even without proper warning, the sales of Chantix have fallen in the past several years after many users alarmingly experienced "vivid dreams and hallucinations". One well-known case is that of Dallas musician, Carter Albrecht. The member of Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians was shot and killed in 2007 due to unusually aggressive behavior. Albrecht’s family blamed his strange behavior on his use of Chantix and filed a lawsuit. Many individuals or families have found themselves in a similar situation due to Chantix.
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