FDA pulls video clip
admitting Chantix suicide link

On Tuesday FDA Patient Safety News released a video clip sharing safety warnings about "serious neuropsychiatric problems" in users of Pfizer's quit smoking pill Chantix, including suicide. Featured yesterday in a WhyQuit article exploring concerns raised by the video, this morning FDA site links to the clip were no longer functional.

The FDA has yet to respond to inquiry as to why the video clip was pulled and whether or not Pfizer played any role in the FDA's decision to do so.

Link to pulled FDA Video Clip

A copy of the pulled FDA Chantix clip is being made available for viewing at WhyQuit. WhyQuit shares this clip based upon the FDA's Patient Safety News website assertion that, "FDA Patient Safety News is a product of the US Federal Government, and as such is NOT copyrighted or restricted in any way. We encourage the further use and distribution of the video or text of the program by anyone �?either in its entirety or as individual stories."

In a separate development, it's reported that Public Citizen, a non-profit Washington based consumer protection watchdog, has called upon the FDA to require a "black box" warning label for Chantix due to suicide and other behavioral risk factors. Reserved for drugs linked to serious or life-threatening adverse events, a "black box" warning is the strongest warning the FDA can mandate.

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No Copyright - This Article is Public Domain.

Last updated April 3, 2008 at 16:18 EST

Previous WhyQuit Varenicline Articles

New FDA Chantix suicide risk video clip raises concerns FDA Chantix Handling Betrayed Public Health "What if my Chantix or Champix attempt failed?" Chantix - an 8 in 10 failure rate or worse? "Will Chantix really help me quit smoking?"