The Big Pharma Drug Push Continues at Break-Neck Speed...

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‘I wish I’d gone sooner...’

That’s the catch-phrase in the latest campaign to get people to stop smoking... Nothing wrong with that... However, it’s not a health or government agency initiative, oh no, this stroke of ingenious marketing comes from Big Pharma...

The television ad shows a lady talking about her long battle to stop smoking. Finally, she says, she decided to go to her doctor for help... At this point, the logo of Pfizer (who else!) appears at the bottom of the screen and the lady says ‘I wish I’d gone sooner’. Then a voiceover hums soothingly that if you are struggling to quit too, you should speak to your doctor about effective ways to kick the smoking habit successfully...

Again, there’s nothing wrong with this message.

In fact, if you are a smoker, you should make every effort to nip this nasty habit in the bud, but your last resort should be to talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for Champix (Chantix in the US), Pfizer’s smoking cessation drug... which is really what this television ad is telling smokers to do...

"This drug has sent me over the edge..."

That’s how one of our readers started to explain her experience after taking Champix. Another one said ‘I am in my third week of taking Champix, am not smoking but will be very surprised if my marriage is in tact at end of treatment...’

This drug may help you to stop smoking but it could also have a few nasty surprises in store for you too! From May 2006 through to December 2007, the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received 227 domestic reports of suicidal acts, thoughts or behaviours, 397 cases of possible psychosis and 525 reports of hostility or aggression — following the use of Champix. These totals included 28 cases of suicide and 41 mentions of homicidal ideation, 60 cases of paranoia and 55 cases of hallucination.

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As always, Pfizer insists that a link between psychiatric problems and taking Champix has not been established in clinical trials...

The main ingredient in Champix is varenicline, which belongs to a family of medications known as nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist. It not only helps curtail all those cravings associated with nicotine withdrawal but also helps reduce the pleasure associated with smoking. Sounds great, for a smoker who is finding it hard to kick the habit

But hold your horses... if you visit the website, drugs.com, and look-up the side effects of varenicline, you will find the following shocking adverse events listed:

• severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness);
• behaviour changes;
• chest pain;
• fainting;
• fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat;
• hallucinations;
• memory loss;
• new or worsening mental or mood problems (e.g., aggression, agitation, anger, anxiety, depression, nervousness, thoughts of hurting other people);
• red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin;
• seizures;
• severe or persistent nausea;
• suicidal thoughts or actions;
• trouble sleeping;
• vivid, strange, or unusual dreams.

In fact, you only need to scroll through the readers’ comments on our forum to realise how many people have been adversely affected by this insidious drug. Click here for more details:

It’s no wonder that in the 4th quarter of 2007 alone, varenicline accounted for 988 serious injuries in the US according to reports received by the FDA, more than any other individual drug in this period. For this reason, the FDA ordered Pfizer to add a strong "black box" warning to highlight the risk of serious mental health problems.

Risk warnings make no difference to Pfizer

In spite of the "black box" warning and the label on this drug reading “...patients who are attempting to quit smoking with Chantix should be observed for serious neuropsychiatric symptoms, including changes in behaviour, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviour.”... Pfizer is still allowed to launch an ad campaign on national television, in the UK!

Sure, Pfizer may not mention Champix in their television ad, but we’ve all heard of suggestive advertising... if you walk in to your doctor’s consultation room and say ‘Hey I saw this ad on telly and I want to stop smoking’, what do you think you’re going to get? A pat on the back? No, a prescription for a possible suicide!

Nothing seems to stop Pfizer...

Recently, my colleague Jenny Thompson told you about a lawsuit that was filed against the drug giant, because it distorted guidelines which led to the reclassification of many moderate risk heart patients into a high risk group, hoaxing them into taking the top-selling cholesterol- lowering drug, Lipitor... we’re talking about millions of people taking a drug they did not need... lining the pockets of you-know-who...

Earlier this year, we reported that Pfizer handed out research grants to an ‘influential’ Massachusetts Professor of Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Dr. Scott S Reuben, who faked research for 12 years! A routine audit in 2008, found that an additional 21 published studies, by Dr Reuben, were found to have been ‘misrepresented’, some of them dating back to 1996.

Adding to that, researchers from The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care recently said that unpublished trial data for Pfizer's antidepressant drug reboxetine (sold as Edronax in the UK) must be made public because it could change views about the drug.

Writing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the researchers said that previous trials overestimated the benefit of reboxetine and underestimated its potential harm. They added that reboxetine was no better than a placebo in terms of remission and response rates.

Never mind stop smoking, stop Pfizer! These guys are certainly turning in to the bad boys of Pharma Ville...

Scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find there’s a lot more at play when it comes to their pharmaceuticals than you could ever have possibly imagined... unscrupulous marketing, misleading trial data, massive profits and turnovers, backroom deals and endorsements and perhaps at the bottom of the list, patient safety...

Champix Related Articles:

Champix Side Effects – Dangers Of Popular Drug Used To Quit Smoking

Champix, a Slow-ticking Time Bomb

Controversial Anti-Smoking Drug Makes Headlines Yet Again

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Sources:

‘Influential US anaesthesia professor faked drug research over 12 years’ published online, anh-europe.org

Public 'misled' by drug trial claims, by Michelle Roberts, published online 13.10.10, bbc.co.uk

Pfizer Linked With Health Issues, by Rasik Sharma, published online 13.10.10, topnews.co.uk

‘Pfizer’s Champix patents in India is already opposed by Dr Reddy’s’ published online 02.07.2009, dancewithshadows.com

‘Health Canada weighs options as U.S. FDA adds "black box" warnings’ by Teresa Smith, published online 03.07.2009, canada.com