Champix (Chantix) - Canada class-action lawsuit started..

See directly relate news briefs: Champix (Chantix) - more serious psychiatric reactions and death..; also - Smoking Cessation - Chantix (Champix) vs. Cold Turkey..
March 17, 2010 - Three B.C. women have started a class-action lawsuit against Pfizer Inc. and its Canadian subsidiary, claiming that the smoking-cessation drug Champix causes depression and suicidal tendencies.

One of the women, Patricia Clow, from Victoria, is the mother of Heidi Clow, 22, who committed suicide on Oct. 4, 2009, while taking Champix, according to the writ of summons filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on Feb. 10, 2010.

The second plaintiff is Alicia Pickering, of Sechelt, who alleges in the writ that she became depressed and catatonic after taking Champix for just three weeks. She took a leave of absence from work, contemplated suicide and was ultimately hospitalized, all of which she attributes to the drug. "If it saves even one soul from suffering the way I have, it'll be worth it. I am outraged that this drug remains on the market," Alicia said in a press release.

"I can tell you that she was only on Champix for a few weeks. In fact, after just a few days she started to feel the effects. That's a fairly typical response. It doesn't take that long for people to be severely impacted," David Klein, one of two lawyers representing the class-action suit said.

Nicole McIvor, from Princeton, is the third plaintiff. She says that while on Champix she attempted suicide by trying to smash her car into an oncoming logging truck.

Champix is the brand name for the drug varenicline tartrate, and is sold in the United States under the brand name Chantix.

Sales of the drug started in Canada in April 2007, and within a year there had been 226 Canadian cases of neuropsychiatric adverse events reported to Health Canada, of a total of 708,534 prescriptions filled.

A warning was added to the drug cautioning family members to monitor people taking Champix for depression and suicidal behaviour. "Champix was sold in Europe and the United States for about a year before it was put on sale in Canada, and in that year there were reports of psychiatric side effects and suicide, and yet the warnings are very mild on the Canadian product," Klein said.

"The [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] required a stronger warning in the United States last year — what's referred to as a black box warning — and Pfizer hasn't put it on the Canadian label. The warnings on stronger in the United States, on the same product, by the same company."

Pfizer has not yet filed a statement of defence in the class action suit.

Reference: Three B.C.women file class action lawsuit over Pfizer quit-smoking drug by TRACY SHERLOCK, Vancouver Sun, 3/16/2010.

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