Chantix Suicide Lawsuits Scheduled For Trial in Federal MDL

The first trial dates have been set for Chantix lawsuits filed in the federal court system, which involve allegations that Pfizer’s smoking cessation drug caused individuals to experience psychological side effects and increased the desire to commit suicide.

About two thousand complaints involving side effects of Chantix filed in federal courts throughout the United States have been consolidated for pretrial proceedings before U.S. District Judge Inge Johnson, in the Northern District of Alabama, where they are centralized as part of an MDL, or multidistrict litigation.

According to a pretrial order issued March 16, the first Chantix trial will begin on October 22, 2012, with a second trial scheduled to start on January 22, 2013.

Eight cases have been selected for early trial dates, known as bellwether cases. The outcomes of these trials often provide useful information for the parties to gauge how juries are likely to respond to similar evidence that may be introduced throughout other lawsuits in the litigation, and they may also help facilitate a possible Chantix settlement agreement.

The first two cases selected for trial both involve wrongful death lawsuits for individuals who committed suicide after taking Chantix. The remaining lawsuits involve individuals who suffered non-fatal psychological side effects from Chantix, such as suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, depression, eratic behavior irritability, violence and aggression.

Chantix (varenicline) was approved in the United States by the FDA in 2006 as a prescription medication to help people quit smoking. The drug works by reducing the positive feelings that come from cigarettes, blocking the receptors in the brain commonly stimulated by nicotine. However, the impact of the drug on the brain has resulted in a number of reports from users who experienced sudden, unusually aggressive behavior, thoughts of self-harm and suicide.

In June 2009, the FDA added a “black box” warning to the medication about the potential risk of changes in behavior, depression and suicidal thoughts, which is the strongest warning that can be placed on a prescription medication in the United States.

The first claim scheduled for trial was brought in June 2010 by Judy Ann Whitely, who alleges her husband, Mark Alan Whitely, committed suicide after using Chantix for a short period of time. The second case was filed in March 2010 by Katharine McClellan, on behalf of her mother Sandra Corey, who suffered depression and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on July 24, 2008, after taking Chantix for about nine months.

If either or both of those cases are settled or otherwise resolved, lawsuits brought by Billy Bedsol, Jr. and Juanita Heidt have been identified as alternative selections. The remaining Chantix bellwether cases will be scheduled by the court for trial dates at a later time.