May 9, 2011 saw the genesis of yet another product liability lawsuit filed against the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. The lawsuit claims that Pfizer failed to adequately research their medication or warn about the potential risk of violent behavior that allegedly resulted in the late Sean Wain murdering his wife and later taking his own life.
On May 17, 2009, nearly two years ago, Sean Wain was prescribed Chantix to aid him in his effort to stop smoking. According to the Chantix lawsuit, he had been using the medication for about one or two weeks before he began to experience episodes of uncontrollable rage, which resulted in unexplained violent behavior, thus leading him to shoot his wife and then commit suicide.
Chantix (varenicline) was originally introduced into the U.S. market by Pfizer in 2006. Soon after gaining approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a smoking cessation product, Chantix accelerated exponentially in popularity. However recent studies have suggested that Chantix side effects may include neuropsychiatric injuries leading to behavioral changes, depression, aggression, agitation, hostility, rage, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and, in many cases, successful suicide.
The Chantix lawsuit was filed by the estates of Sean Wain, 34, and Natalie Wain, 33 on May 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Plaintiffs are arguing that Pfizer failed to adequately research their medication or warn about the potential risk of violent behavior mentioned above. As a direct result of these dangerous Chantix side effects, the FDA announced that Pfizer would need to add a black box warning because of the following data:
The FDA has required the manufacturer of the smoking cessation aid varenicline (Chantix) to add new Boxed Warnings and develop patient Medication Guides highlighting the risk of serious neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients using these products. These symptoms include changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts and behavior, and attempted suicide.
The added warning is based on the continued review of postmarketing adverse event reports on varenicline received by the FDA. These reports included those with a temporal relationship between the use of varenicline and suicidal events and the occurrence of suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior in patients with no history of psychiatric disease.
In a 2010 study conducted by researchers at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, officials discovered that Chantix was responsible for invoking violent and unprovoked aggression in patients. Often aggressive tendencies were noticed shortly after they began using Chantix. However, violent and aggressive behavior ended for 93% of the subjects when they stopped taking Chantix.
Pfizer has been under relentless scrutiny as a result of more than 100 Chantix lawsuits on behalf of individuals who died or suffered serious injuries after taking the medication.
Do I Have a Chantix Lawsuit?
The trial lawyers at The Senators (Ret.) Firm, LLP have decades of experience navigating through complex legislative and regulatory issues and litigating high stakes cases all over the nation. Our law firm focuses on the representation of plaintiffs in Chantix lawsuits. We are currently accepting new cases in all 50 states.
If you or a loved one has been injured by Chantix, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation and / or refund by participating in a class action lawsuit and we can help.