Chantix Tops New Report On Serious Side Effects

The number of serious problems and deaths linked to medications reported to the FDA set a record in the first three months of this year, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices reports. The FDA received nearly 21,000 reports of serious drug reactions, including over 4,800 deaths, according to ISMP’s an analysis of federal data dating to 2004. Yearly totals went back to the 1990s. Two drugs accounted for a disproportionately large share of the latest reports. One was heparin, the tainted blood thinner from China that caused an international safety scandal. The other was Chantix, a new kind of anti-smoking drug from Pfizer, which refuted the findings. The drug accounted for more reported serious injuries than any other prescription drug for a second quarter, a total of 1001 new cases, including 50 additional deaths. Earlier this year, the FDA warned that Chantix may be linked to psychiatric problems, including suicidal behavior and vivid dreams, and the government banned it for pilots.
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