Chantix Attorneys to Meet With MDL Judge on Friday

Lawyers involved in the federal Chantix litigation are scheduled to meet on Friday with the judge presiding over the centralized cases to discuss progress on the lawsuits. It is also expected that the judge will consider whether a “science day” should be scheduled to educate the Court about the background on the lawsuits over the side effects of Chantix.

Hundreds of Chantix lawsuits are consolidated as part of a mutidistrict litigation, or MDL, which is centralized before U.S. District Judge Inge Johnson in the Northern District of Alabama.

All of the complaints involve similar allegations that side effects of Chantix, a popular prescription medication sold by Pfizer to help people stop smoking, may increase the risk of serious injury or death due to suicidal thoughts and other unusual, aggressive behavior that has been reported to occur in some users after taking the medication.

A hearing is scheduled for October 21, where Chantix attorneys representing both plaintiffs and defendants will meet with Judge Johnson. According to a joint proposed agenda filed this week, the parties will provide an update regarding the status of the litigation, including cases pending in state courts, as well as the status of cases that are being prepared for early Chantix trial dates, known as bellwether cases.

Pfizer, the manufacturer of the smoking cessation drug, recently filed a motion requesting that a “science day” be scheduled in February 2012, at which the parties would be able to make introductory presentations to the court concerning the scientific concepts and issues relevant to the litigation. If requested by the Court, the parties have indicated they will be prepared for oral arguments on this motion at the hearing on Friday.

According to the drug makers motion filed October 11, the presentations during the “science day” would not be argumentative, but rather summarize the key scientific concepts relating to Chantix. Pfizer says the presentations would also give the court a chance to ask questions about technical matters and offer guidance on discovery issues.

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.

Most of the Chantix injury lawsuits currently filed allege that Pfizer failed to adequately research their medication or warn about the risk of these problems earlier.

This year, the FDA also issued a drug safety communication about the potential risk of heart problems from Chantix, warning that the smoking cessation drug might increase the risk of certain cardiovascular events, including the risk of heart attack, among individuals who had cardiovascular disease. In recent months, a number of lawyers have begun reviewing potential Chantix heart attack lawsuits against Pfizer as well.