MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'chantix'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:58:49 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182316&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Ff5uWuvV6ctE%2F Once again, a web page is deemed problematic by the FDA. In a letter sent by the agency earlier this week, Pfizer was chastised because its Lipitor web page made misleading representations and suggestions about several other drugs. The issue came to light, by the way, thanks to the FDA ‘Bad Ad’ program, which encourages people to file complaints about troublesome promotions (see this). What exactly did the FDA find objectionable. In its letter, the Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications noted that the Lipitor webpage contained a link that led to a webpage about Lipitor which contained a “Click to Continue” link. This took the visitors to individual product websites for Caduet and Chantix, and to the prescribing information for Norvasc. However, Pfizer ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182316 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:21:40 +0100 5182316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051239&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FdVmKbI73T-Q%2F Less than a month after a meta-analysis found that the Chantix smoking-cessation drug was associated with a 72 percent increased risk of serious adverse cardiovascular risks in smokers without a history of heart disease, the European Medicines Agency has decided that the benefits continue to outweigh the risks. The meta-analysis in the Canadian Medical Association Journal analyzed 14 double-blind, randomized controlled trials that involved 8,216 patients and ranged in duration from 7 to 52 weeks. A significantly increased risk of serious cardiovascular adverse events - 1.06 percent in Chantix versus 0.82 percent in placebo - including myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular-related death was found. There were no differences, however, in death rates between the two groups (read th... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051239 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:08:54 +0100 5051239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008330&cid=t_93922_109_f&fid=38951&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarlatpsychiatry.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fbiggest-chantix-news-pfizers-123.html (Source: The Carlat Psychiatry Blog) The Carlat Psychiatry Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008330 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 20:19:00 +0100 5008330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997825&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fm_ZWIiC_FSE%2F This article raises concerns but the authors are limited by the summary data that are in the public domain. We need companies to take these concerns seriously enough to support inquires by independent investigators who have unfettered access to all the data.” In an accompanying editorial, J. Taylor Hays of the Department of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic, who has received grant funding from Pfizer to conduct a Chantix trial, wrote that the adverse events were rare; the rate of participants lost to follow-up was greater in the placebo arm than in the treatment arm in most of the studies included in the analysis, which “introduces bias in determining serious adverse events;” cardiac events were adjudicated in only one study and no significant differences were seen in the numbe... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997825 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:52:28 +0100 4997825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976209&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FGQkFEzYa_9A%2F Once again, Sanofi is facing trouble with Multaq. The latest difficulty comes from French regulators that have reevaluated the effectiveness of the drug, which is used to treat atrial fibrillation, after two patients developed severe liver damage. The move comes just nine months after Multaq, which was once seen as a salve for the drugmaker, was launched in France. The High Authority for Health determined that Multaq is “insufficient,” which means French authorities could withdraw reimbursement, according to Liberation (you can read the translation here). French regulators appeared to have reluctantly approved the drug in the first place, but granted what was described as a high reimbursement rate amid speculation that Sanofi exerted political pressure as a large employer in th... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976209 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:54:34 +0100 4976209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945199&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FbndcK1mN0Gc%2F Yet another problem for Pfizer and its controversial smoking-cessation drug. The FDA has just decided to add a warning on the product labeling about an association with a small, but increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events in patients with cardiovascular disease. These are people who, of course, should not be smoking, but they are now being told the drug may be off limits. In reaching its decision, the FDA reviewed a study in which 700 patients with cardiovascular disease received either Chantix or placebo, and the results showed the Pfizer drug was effective in helping them quit smoking and remain abstinent for up to year. But Chantix was also linked more frequently to “certain events, including heart attack” (here is the statement and data summary). This is only the l... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945199 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:57:21 +0100 4945199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883904&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FzohcjyKCaD8%2F France has decided to remove Chantix, the Pfizer smoking-cessation drug, from its register of medicines for which patients can be reimbursed from government funds. “Questions have been raised about Champix, so I’ve decided it will no longer be covered by (state) health insurance,” Health Minister Xavier Bertrand told France 2 television, according to Reuters. The move comes amid growing problems for Pfizer and its controversial pill, which has been named in connection with suicides and violent behaviors. Two weeks ago, a watchdog group reported that Pfizer incorrectly submitted hundreds of Chantix side effects to the FDA, raising questions about the extent to which the agency was properly briefed, although the FDA subsequently released a statement saying no safety concern... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883904 Tue, 31 May 2011 16:08:11 +0100 4883904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883908&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F929PtH2PZsw%2F Good morning, everyone, and welcome back. We hope your weekend was relaxing and refreshing. Now, of course, the time has come to resume the routine of meetings and deadlines. And yes, we are coping by brewing the mandatory cup of stimulation - our flavor today is Mocha Nut Fudge - and we invite you to join us. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits to help you get in the groover. Hope your day goes well and see you soon… Five Lessons From The Niaspan Study (Forbes) GlaxoSmithKline Is Downgraded By Goldman Sachs (Associated Press) More Children Dying After Vaccination In India (India Times) JB Chem & Pharma To Hire 1,500 Medical Reps (The Economic Times) Sanofi Diabetes Drug Cuts Blood Sugar & Weight In Study (Reuters) No Workers, No Products: A Bleak Future For Renovo (Pharma Tim... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883908 Tue, 31 May 2011 12:03:14 +0100 4883908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872096&cid=t_93922_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchantix-lawsuits-the-next-greatest-get-rich-quick-scheme-for-smokers%2F2011.05.26 Chantix lawsuits here we come.  I’ve been prescribing Chantix and helping fill out forms for free Chantix for my patients for several years now.  Chantix is one medicine used to help get patients to quit smoking right now.  In fact, I even had a case presentation of a woman I warned to quit smoking for good or face a lifetime of being cross eyed. Does Chantix help to quit smoking? Yes it does.  It helps to take the cravings away in folks who use it.  If you smoke, you should want to quit, based on my discussions with a tobacco farming insider.  If nothing has helped, Chantix might be your last hope.  As a hospitalist, I always offer Chantix therapy as part of my smoking lecture (that I bill out as smoking cessation CPT 99406 or 99407) With the average cost of cigarettes... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872096 Thu, 26 May 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4872096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841989&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FTUOHhGEtWzc%2F Adverse event data from the third quarter of 2010 show the risks of serious psychiatric side effects of Chantix, the smoking-cessation drug, were previously underestimated because Pfizer apparently failed to correctly submit hundreds of these episodes to the FDA, according to an analysis by the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices, a non-profit that regulary reviews the FDA adverse event database. Notably, the ISMP found 150 cases of completed suicides, some of which dated back to 2007, that were not reported promptly as suicides within 15 days as required. Instead, the drugmaker apparently coded the suicides as “expected adverse events” among 26,000 such events, and added these to a quarterly periodic report, which is how less important, non-serious side effects are sent to t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841989 Wed, 18 May 2011 16:02:13 +0100 4841989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4424446&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F9T5uMwVXXjQ%2F The list of product web sites that manage to get consumers to actually do something contains some very familiar names, such as Viagra, Nexium, Yaz and Lunesta. Of course, these are used to treat rather common concerns and all have, at one time or another, been widely advertised. Yet they also share something else in common - often, coupons are available, according to a recent survey that found, on average, 74 percent of consumers took some type of action after visiting a product web site. In other words, coupons appear to act as a motivator for following up in some fashion. “One thing we see when looking at satisfaction in years past is that there seems to be a high correlation beween satisfaction and a coupon,” says Meredith Ressi, president of Manhattan Research, which canvas... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4424446 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:04:32 +0100 4424446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4406032&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FT2t_UxFOels%2F Every three months, the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices releases an update on drug safety after examining adverse event reports and so here are the latest findings: Pfizer’s Chantix quit-smoking pill continued to account for large numbers of reported serious psychiatric side effects; Johnson & Johnson’s Levaquin was suspect in more reports of serious injury than any other antibiotic. Still more safety signals were spotted for the Multaq heart drug sold by Sanofi-Aventis, and reports of serious injuries associated with Johnson & Johnson recalls continued to dominate all new case reports indicating a product problem. Overall, the FDA received 33,068 domestic reports of serious injury, disability or death associated with drugs, a 12 percent increase from a year ear... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4406032 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:11:17 +0100 4406032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377790&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FfND27RYyNr4%2F The Internet may be ubiquitous, but to what extent do consumers trust the growing numbers of web sites catering to corporate messages, specific meds and disease information? To quantify this growing morass, a research firm asked more than 6,600 US adults in last year’s fourth quarter for their reactions to various sites and the available information, and here is what they found… When it comes to corporate websites, 37 percent expressed trust “to some degree” and 17 percent reported a lack of trust, with everyone else feeling neutral. Web sites for specific meds generated a slightly higher level of trust with 41 percent feeling comfortable and 14 percent expressing a lack of trust. As for disease sites, 37 percent viewed the site as trustworthy and 15 percent did not... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377790 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:09:15 +0100 4377790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314221&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F6v6OHNUJQ_Y%2F Greetings, everyone. How are you this morning? We trust you feel invigorated as another day gets under way. As usual, we are brewing a delicious cup of stimulation and poking around for interesting items. Heard something fascinating? Send us a note. Meanwhile, we hope your workload is manageable and much gets accomplished. Catch you soon… Pfizer Faces 1,200 Chantix Lawsuits (Birmingham News) Spectrum To Make Biosimilar Of Roche’s Rituximab (Reuters) Roche Wins Wider Approval For Actemra (Bloomberg News) Evidence Links Avastin To Heart Failure In Breast Cancer Patients (HealthDay) EMA Worries Over Foreign APIs (InPharma-Technologist) J&J Files For FDA Approval Of Bloodthinner (Associated Press) Celgene Submits New Applications For Cancer Meds (Reuters) Xoma Inks $505M Diabe... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314221 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:48:44 +0100 4314221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309853&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F9rqVTG8Yxrg%2F Talk about strategic blunders. For a company that prides itself on astute marketing and touts the virtues of expanding in Asia, Pfizer somehow managed to entirely misjudge demand for its Chantix pill for quitting smoking when Japan significantly raised cigarette taxes in October. Yet the move had been telegraphed back in late 2009, giving the drugmaker ample time to boost supplies to a rising number of Japanese who saw the new tax as a reason to quit the habit. But the Pfizer team choked. Less than two weeks after the tax increase went into effect, Pfizer had to suspend sales until production could be increased. Three months later, Chantix is still hard to come by, and this happens at a time when US sales are falling due to side effect concerns that regularly generate negative press. (In t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309853 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:02:20 +0100 4309853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266268&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FATItVCZMAC0%2F For years, there were contentious debates about links between certain prescription meds, notably antidepressants, and suicidal behavior. Now, the focus is turning to violent behavior directed toward others. And a new study is linking 31 widely prescribed drugs - most notably, the Chantix anti-smoking pill - with 1,527 serious acts of violence, such as physical abuse, physical assault and homicide. The study, which was published in PLoS One, identified 484 drugs that accounted for 780,169 serious adverse event reports of all kinds, including 1,937 cases meeting the violence criteria determined by the researchers. There were 387 reports of homicide, 404 physical assaults, 27 cases indicating physical abuse, 896 homicidal ideation reports and 223 cases described as violence-related symptoms. ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266268 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:31:34 +0100 4266268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119716&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F_uKvTFMX99I%2F Rise and shine, everyone. Another day beckons. And this is a special one here on the Pharmalot corporate campus as the shortest of short people celebrates a birthday. An especially large cup of stimulation is in order…among other things. While we fuss, please enjoy these items and, of course, we hope your weekend is wonderful. Whether you pick a pumpkin, rake some leaves, read a book or enjoy a walk, do enjoy yourselves. See you soon… Glaxo Licenses Amicus Therapeutics’ Fabry Drug (Reuters) Sanofi-Aventis Buys A Chinese OTC Maker (Associated Press) Glaxo Cuts Prices In Indonesia By Up To 50 Percent (Reuters) Hepatitis C Is Fertile Field For Blockbusters (The Wall Street Journal) Supreme Court To Review Roche And Stanford Dispute Today (The Tech) AstraZeneca And Daiichi Sign $... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119716 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:35:14 +0100 4119716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003436&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FebX3i3LnNno%2F Suicide has become a big issue in drug development in recent years. Consider the controversy over links to various antidepressants, notably in youngsters, and then the spate of reports involving meds for epilepsy, obesity, acne and smoking cessation (see here, here, here and here). The FDA, however, is concerned the signals largely stemmed from retrospective meta-analyses and spontaneous adverse event reports. And so the agency is considering a more deliberate approach toward clinical study and has issued a guidance with this explanation: “Given the wide range of drugs involved, it is reasonable to consider whether prospective assessments for suicidality should be included in clinical trials involving at least selected drugs for non-psychiatric indications.” “There are tw... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003436 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:02:45 +0100 4003436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3915287&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FFkE6VfIUY2g%2F Two years ago, the Pharmac government agency in New Zealand, which is responsible for subsidizing meds, declined funding for Pfizer’s Chantix smoking-cessation drug over safety concerns. Ten deaths were reported among people who were using the med. Chantix, you may recall, has been associated with various side effects, including suicidal behavior and vivid dreams, among other things (recent background). Now, though, Pharmac has changed its mind and is planning to subsidize use of the drug, which is called Champix in New Zealand. Why? Pharmac struck a bargain with Pfizer, which offered a package deal involving four of its meds, and the deal will lower the Chantix cost from about $200 a month to roughly $130. In explaining the move, Pharmac medical director Peter Moody tells The New Ze... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3915287 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:46:58 +0100 3915287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780566&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FndilQjEzCYE%2F For the past three years, the Chantix smoking cessation pill has caused a stir after being associated with suicidal behavior and vivid dreams (see here and here). Consequently, the government banned the Pfizer drug for pilots and licenses wouldn’t be issued to truck drivers taking the med (see this). The FDA subsequently imposed a risk management program and Pfizer added warnings. Now, a new study in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy finds Chantix is not only associated with violent and agressive thoughts and acts, but has also identified some of the common characteristics among people using the pill and their subsequent behavior. The drug “does have warnings about psychiatric side effects, but it skims over aggression/violence towards others to focus mainly on suicidal behaviors,&... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780566 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:42:10 +0100 3780566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3570061&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FEFLfYWaWj5Y%2F Earlier this year, the FDA inaugurated a new panel - the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee - which was formed to review and evaluate “safety, dependence and health issues” concerning tobacco products. But it wasn’t long before there was criticism that some panel members held conflicts of interest (see here and here). At issue has been that a few of the members have ties to drugmakers that market or are developing products designed to help people quit smoking. For instance, the panel roster notes that its chair, Jonathan Samet, who is a public health expert at the UCLA, is listed as a member between 2004 and 2009 of Pfizer’s Tobacco Advisory Board, and Pfizer sells Chantix. The resume provided by Jack Henningfield, an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3570061 Mon, 17 May 2010 14:16:09 +0100 3570061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3437928&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FM4TazMCBDyw%2F Welcome to the working week. We hope your weekend was pleasant and relaxing. Now, though, the routine has returned with all those meetings and deadlines. But at least spring has sprung, which is another way of saying our spirits are sunny just the same. And to move things along, we are about to reach for a cup of stimulation. Grab one yourselves and dig in for another day…. Thalidomide May Fight Blood Vessel Disorder: Study (Reuters) Canadian Sues Pfizer Over Daughter’s Suicide And Chantix (The National Post) Does A Merck Shareholder Deal Mean Anything Will Change? (New York Times) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3437928 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:01:29 +0100 3437928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3176119&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F_3q_NgS2GHQ%2F Once again, the end of a long week approaches. We hope you survived so far. What are your weekend plans? Catching up on reading or with friends? We will tend to the short and not-so-short people. Before we get ahead of ourselves, however, another day lies ahead. So let’s all grab our cup of stimulation and get started. Meanwhile, have a great weekend, everyone, and see you soon… Pfizer Hit With Chantix Lawsuits (Reuters) Wockhardt And Abbott Deal May Be Blocked (LiveMint) Xenoport Says Restless Legs Drug Won’t Need Panel (Bloomberg News) FDA: No Heart Risk With Spiriva Inhaler (Associated Press) Amgen’s Denosumab And Bone Cancer (BusinessWeek) photo thx to tipiro on Flickr creative commons (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3176119 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:07:54 +0100 3176119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886743&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FspE6AMyOX3I%2F Top of the morning, everyone. Today marks the start of the earnings season for drug makers - Johnson & Johnson is reporting - and voting starts on healthcare reform. So lots to keep an eye on. Hope your day goes well…. Pfizer Slow To Address Chantix Side Effects in Korea (Korea Times) Glaxo, UK & Wellcome Trust Offer Space To Biotechs (Reuters) Pfizer Criticized Over Worker Safety (The Korea Times) Johnson & Johnson Third-Quarter Earnings (Press Release) Glaxo Strikes Deal For Four Muscular Dystrophy Drugs (Bloomberg) Vanda License Schizo Drug To Novartis (MarketWatch) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886743 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:26:18 +0100 2886743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570655&cid=t_93922_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FUURyUDKZbuE%2F The stop-smoking market is huge, from the do-it-yourself treatments to alternative medicine to pharmaceutical medicines. Over the past few years, medications like Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban and Wellbutrin (buproprion) have been used by many people, some successfully, some not. One problem with these medications is that they seem to have an adverse effect on some people who take them and these can be quite serious. According to a press release issued by the FDA: These symptoms include changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts and behavior, and attempted suicide. Now, the FDA has told the manufacturers that they must add new warnings, called Box Warning and develop patient medication guides that outline these risks. Here is more from the release: Healt... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570655 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:10:26 +0100 2570655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376818&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fis-uws-smoking-cessation-cme-course.html I generally believe that, on balance, the drug industry gets pretty good press. That is, there are more favorable stories about Rx drugs (especially new drugs) than unfavorable stories. Unfortunately -- as most PR people will tell you -- it takes an average of seven favorable stories to counteract one unfavorable story.An unfavorable story about Chantix appeared in yesterday's Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. The story, entitled "Ads, class ignore drug's downside," was about Pfizer's support for a smoking cessation continuing medical education (CME) course offered through the University of Wisconsin-Madison.The article claims "None of the side effects are mentioned in the UW continuing education online course, which is paid for by Pfizer. The course directly mentions only Chantix as a... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376818 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:36:00 +0100 2376818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232657&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fchantix-may-help-curb-yen-for-alcohol.html (Source: Pharma Marketing Blog) Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232657 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:00:00 +0100 2232657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190613&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fwheres-da-wabbit-abe-and-beaver-too.html (Source: Pharma Marketing Blog) Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190613 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:51:00 +0100 2190613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2027781&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F479539168%2F You could get that impression from reading a piece this morning in The Wall Street Journal, which notes the FDA recently launched a new effort to alert consumers to safety issues, and a few drugmakers are now running web sites that attempt to communicate risks more openly. The paper, however, writes that consumers are receiving a “flood” of info that “risks scaring some people.” “Too much information about drug safety - disseminated through media, online alerts from consumer watchdog groups and even by the Food and Drug Administration itself - might overwhelm patients and raise undue alarm,” according to some medical professionals who spoke with the paper. The problem - consumers may forget about benefits if they focus only on risk. And the consequences ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2027781 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:51:08 +0100 2027781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947487&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F448496476%2F For the first time, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has suggested a link between the Pfizer smoking-cessation pill and psychiatric side effects, The Mail reports. On its website, the MHRA reports that 10 people committed suicide after taking the drug, which is called Champix outside the US, out of 24 deaths reported. And another 213 claimed they experienced suicidal thoughts, while 407 complained of depression. However, there is no evidence that Pfizer’s Chantix was a factor in any of the deaths, the newspaper notes. In any event, the MHRA says the number of people reporting adverse side effects while using Chantix, also known by its generic name varenicline, doubled in the past seven months – up from 1,811 in February to 3,541 in September. And s... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947487 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:15:50 +0100 1947487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1911364&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fchantix-viagra-changra-la-for-pfizer.html A time-honored strategy pharmaceutical companies use to keep brands alive after patent expiry is to combine one brand with another to create a combination pill. Pfizer, for example, has combined Lipitor and Norvasc to create Caduet.I suggest that Pfizer start thinking about its Viagra erectile dysfunction (ED) franchise. Viagra will go off patent as early as 2011.One specific suggestion I have is to combine Viagra with Chantix (indicated for smoking cessation). I call this combination "ChanGra-La," which is pronounced virtually the same as Shangri-La, the mystical, harmonious, earthly paradise and utopia described in the novel Lost Horizon."What," you may ask, "could justify such a combination?"Glad you asked!According to an Italian study mentioned in a BMJ news item ("Erectile dysfunction... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1911364 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:14:00 +0100 1911364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901970&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F428939063%2F The number of serious problems and deaths linked to medications reported to the FDA set a record in the first three months of this year, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices reports. The FDA received nearly 21,000 reports of serious drug reactions, including over 4,800 deaths, according to ISMP’s an analysis of federal data dating to 2004. Yearly totals went back to the 1990s. Two drugs accounted for a disproportionately large share of the latest reports. One was heparin, the tainted blood thinner from China that caused an international safety scandal. The other was Chantix, a new kind of anti-smoking drug from Pfizer, which refuted the findings. The drug accounted for more reported serious injuries than any other prescription drug for a second quarter, a total of 1001 new cas... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901970 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:21:27 +0100 1901970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1895594&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F427656862%2F Earnings are out and, naturally, this means the ceo is chatting up analysts, fund managers and other investors in need of reassurance about the future. For a change of pace, however, Pfizer ceo Jeff Kindler stopped for a few minutes to chat with Pharmalot about some key issues confronting the drugmaker. By his side was cfo Frank D’Amelio. Here is an excerpt… Pharmalot: How do you get sufficient top line growth without making acquisitions? Kindler: First of all, we’ve set out a number of strategies that will produce very profitable growth over the next few years. And we’re on target to achieve those goals. Now, look at emerging markets. That’s a huge growth opportunity. If you exclude Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and look at Asia, that’s expected to ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1895594 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:05:22 +0100 1895594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1841254&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F406326804%2F The money spent on advertising is in decline for the first time ever, and this has caused a dramatic collapse in unbranded health education campaigns. You know, those are the ads that describe an illness without mentioning a med. Spending in this year’s first half on unbranded plugs fell 3 percent to $2.4 billion, according to BrandWeek, citing Nielsen Monitor-Plus data. The decline was expected, but the numbers mask a surprise: Unbranded campaigns have been cut by more than half in the last two years, the mag writes. In 2006, drugmakers spent $660 million on health education and corporate image ads. In 2007, they spent $341 million. In the first half of this year, spending was $138 million, a 22 percent dive. Unbranded spending on the Internet has also declined. The drop is unexpec... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1841254 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:57:52 +0100 1841254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1826210&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F401070296%2F The big drugmaker is dramatically stepping up sales efforts in emerging markets, overhauling US business operations and slashing more costs ahead of the 2011 patent loss for cholesterol blockbuster Lipitor, the Associated Press informs us. Ian Read, speaking at the 2008 UBS Global Life Sciences conference in New York, told analysts and investors Pfizer has reduced annual costs by $1.2 billion from 2006 levels and expects to meet its goal of cutting a total of $2 billion by year’s end. But most of the remaining reductions will occur in the fourth quarter, possibly signaling more job cuts. Pfizer hopes to generate another $3 billion in revenue by 2012 just from meds losing patent protection. How? Create new doses, tweak existing products and enter niche markets. For instance, Pfizer pl... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1826210 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:23:13 +0100 1826210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1790485&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F390772450%2F We have to make a presentation shortly to some folks interested in the Pharmalot way of doing things. No, we are not paid for such engagements. And we are equal opportunity informers - we talk about what we do to all manner of interested groups. So until we return, we thought it may be helpful to offer a few tidbits that we came across before heading out. See you shortly… Pfizer will restart TV advertising for its Chantix anti-smoking drug on Sunday, nine months after voluntarily putting the campaign on hold as worries about a link between the medicine and suicidal thoughts and actions grew, Forbes points out. Look for slightly longer, 90-second spots featuring the familiar hare and tortoise - and 41 seconds of side-effect info. Novartis is opening a new facility devoted to vaccine r... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1790485 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:56:58 +0100 1790485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742938&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F378360108%2F Several weeks ago, Pfizer returned its Chantix ads to television, although the drugmaker chose not to run typical ads touting the name of the controversial anti-smoking pill, which has been linked to suicidal thoughts and other side effects. Instead, Pfizer is trying unbranded advertising, which means the product name isn’t used and, therefore, costly ad time needed to list side effects can be avoided. Here is the MyTimeToQuit site. The idea, writes The Wall Street Journal, appears to be undergoing a revival for drugs with chequered pasts, especially as drugmakers come under attack from some lawmakers over direct-to-consumer advertising. Sanofi-Aventis, for instance, just launched a 15-second ad that uses a rooster to promote a web site called silenceyourrooster.com, which promotes A... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742938 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:01:47 +0100 1742938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734255&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F375230213%2F The sites that feature diabetes meds top the list, with Merck’s Januvia garnering the No. 1 ranking and Takeda Pharmaceutical’s Actos finishing second, according to Manhattan Research, which says it conducted an online survey in this year’s second quarter of 1,681 docs practicing in the US. Interestingly, the research firm says that more docs are visiting sites for controversial drugs - Pfizer’s Chantix smoking-cessation pill and Merck’s Gardasil vaccine for HPV. Actos, by the way, crashed the list for the first time, perhaps reflecting the problems with a rival diabetes pill, Glaxo’s Avandia. 1. Januvia 2. Actos 3. Chantix 4. Gardasil 5. Actonel 6. Vytorin 7. Amitiza 8. Byet... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734255 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:44:29 +0100 1734255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1664626&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F350411124%2F File this under ‘been down so long, looks like up to me.’ The stock market column in BusinessWeek concludes Pfizer stock is an upswing after plummeting over the past 12 months, and the recent rise is no mere blip. Never mind the looming Lipitor patent expiration, the uncertain product pipeline and sagging Chantix sales, the mag defends the speculators quoted by writing this… “Catalysts that could move Pfizer’s stock higher include strategic acquisitions, according to Birkelback. Such deals could widen the company’s portfolio of drugs and lessen the impact on earnings of the patent expiration of marquee cholesterol drug Lipitor in 2011. Should Pfizer release good news sometime soon about any of the drugs in its pipeline, greater focus by analysts and inve... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1664626 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:39:56 +0100 1664626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1649214&cid=t_93922_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F343927989%2Fcoffee-and-cigarettes.html Recovering alcoholics and their drugs.It's no secret that alcohol and cigarettes go together. And it is common knowledge--and an AA truism--that recovering alcoholics take to strong black coffee like ducks to water.Now comes a study of Alcoholics Anonymous participants in Nashville, to be published in the October issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, which verifies the obvious, with a twist. Of 289 AA members interviewed by Dr. Peter R. Martin and coworkers at the Vanderbilt Addiction Center, 56.9% of respondents were cigarette smokers (approximately 20% of all adult Americans smoke cigarettes).When it came to coffee, however, 88.5% of AA attendees were coffee drinkers, and a third of them drank more than 4 cups a day. "The most important finding," said Dr. Martin in a V... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1649214 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:54:00 +0100 1649214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1649309&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F343503508%2F The smoking-cessation drug isn’t ringing the register, thanks to months of bad publicity and regulatory warnings, although this should hardly come as a surprise. In its earnings report, Pfizer notes that Chantix revenues in the second-quarter were $207 million, an increase of just 3 percent compared with the same period a year earlier. In the US, specifically, Chantix revenues fell 35 percent to $109 million, although international sales rose 197 percent to $98 million. To compensate, Pfizer vows to continue educational and promotional efforts focused on the Chantix “risk-benefit proposition” and the health consequences of smoking. Meanwhile, overseas marketing is expanding. Known as Champix overseas, the drug was just launched in Japan and will soon debut in Russia, Turk... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1649309 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:21:45 +0100 1649309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1606128&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F331874859%2F On January 3, David Collins killed himself with a shotgun, three months after he began taking Chantix, Pfizer’s controversial smoking-cessation pill. Now, his widow, Linda, has filed what may be the first product-liability lawsuit against the drugmaker over Chantix side effects and an alleged failure to provide sufficient warnings. And her lawyer predicts many more such lawsuits are on the way. In her lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Indianapolis, Collins claims Pfizer failed to adequately study Chantix; delayed publication of studies containing Chantix risk info; failed to update Chantix labeling sooner, and denied Chantix is explicity to blame for suicide by instead suggesting such behavior may be the result of nicotine withdrawal. Here is the lawsuit. “The magni... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1606128 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:43:57 +0100 1606128 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1603409&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F331015711%2F Former Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi contacted colleagues at his old agency as a lobbyist for Pfizer earlier this year, seeking updates on whether Chantix would remain on the VA’s list of approved prescription drugs amid new warnings of dangerous side effects, The Washington Times reports. The government had just banned Chantix for use by pilots and air traffic controllers because of potential side effects on alertness and motor skills, and had also warned the smoking-cessation pill could cause depression, suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide, the paper notes, adding that Pfizer wanted insight on the VA’s intent for the drug, which has been prescribed to thousands of veterans. Pfizer maintains that Principi’s contacts with his old agency didn’t am... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1603409 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:16:37 +0100 1603409 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1561301&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F323970385%2F The Korean Medical Association, the nation’s largest group of doctors, is under fire for allegedly receiving sponsorship from the drugmaker for its no-smoking campaign, The Korea Times reports. The association is blamed for trying to take a free ride without mentioning the sponsor, while Pfizer is accused of trying to gain publicity for Champix, which may not be advertised. According to Yonhap News, Pfizer has been financing online, television and print commercials for the KMA’s “Quit Smoking” campaign. However, there is no sign of its name in the ads. (Chantix, by the way, is marketed as Champix outside the US). In the aired ads, foreign males hold a lollipop, sausage and celery stick instead of a cigarette, saying “I finally made it with my doctor. He has a... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1561301 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:17:52 +0100 1561301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1546978&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F320836266%2F In April, four experts on smoking cessation published a paper in the Annals of Internal Medicine promoting an unconventional plan for helping hard-core nicotine addicts quit, BusinessWeek writes. And they proposed treating smokers as if they have a chronic disease, such as diabetes, instead of an addiction such as alcholism. Why? Insurance coverage for long-term med use. Moreover, the authors, Michael Steinberg (pictured left) and Jonathan Foulds (pictured to the right), are paid for speaking and consulting by drugmakers with smoking-cessation products, such as Pfizer, the mag notes. And the paper appeared around the same time that Pfizer, at the urging of the FDA, added warnings to its Chantix label, fueling charges that paid experts are trying to protect a big-selling drug. The researche... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1546978 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:57:36 +0100 1546978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1543931&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F319733018%2F Not unlike secondary smoke, the spillover from side effects associated with a rival product can also be harmful. This seems to be the case with Glaxo, which soon plans to increase advertising for its Nicoderm CQ patches, Nicorette gum and Commit lozenges, the Associated Press reports. The move is hardly surprising, given the problems plaguing Pfizer’s Chantix, the controversial smoking-cessation pill that has been linked to psychiatric adverse events, most notably suicidal thoughts and behavior, along with other side effects that the FDA is reviewing. Gwyn Cready, Glaxo’s senior brand manager for smoking control, tells the AP that sales of the nicotine replacement products have leveled off since the FDA began investigating adverse event reports associated with Chantix in Novem... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1543931 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:11:00 +0100 1543931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1531685&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F316302940%2F The move comes after a recent report that the Veterans Administration waited three months to notify veterans in a VA clinical trial of the side effects, including suicidal behavior and thoughts, associated with the Pfizer smoking-cessation pill. The vets in the study had post-traumatic stress disorder and were trying to quit smoking. VA Secretary James Peake said in a conference call that agency docs will continue to prescribe the drug because they are seeing no serious problems or trends with its use, the Associated Press reports. And he defended the VA’s use of the drug to treat some of the veterans with stress disorders who were participating in a study to stop smoking. Of the 143 veterans with PTSD who took Chantix in the study, Peake said that three - or 2 percent - experienced ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1531685 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:48:58 +0100 1531685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1531214&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fpfizer-chantix-va-shut-stable-door.html The Veterans Affairs Department is now sending letters to about 33,000 veterans who are taking the anti-smoking drug Chantix, warning them about possible side effects, including thoughts of suicide.More (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1531214 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:53:00 +0100 1531214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1526147&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fpfizer-chantix-from-ad-agency.html Axis of Logic (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526147 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:36:00 +0100 1526147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1526159&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fpfizer-chantix-hows-positive-pr-push.html Not so well, it would seem:The US government is testing drugs with severe side effects like psychosis and suicidal behavior on hundreds of military veterans, using small cash payments to attract patients into medical experiments that often target distressed soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, a Washington Times/ABC News investigation has found. In one such experiment involving the controversial anti-smoking drug Chantix, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) took three months to alert its patients about severe mental side effects. The warning did not arrive until after one of the veterans taking the drug had suffered a psychotic episode that ended in a near lethal confrontation with police.Iraq war veteran James Elliott opted for a government clinical trial for a smoking-cessat... PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526159 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:35:00 +0100 1526159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1522440&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F313017894%2F Last February, the FDA issued a health advisory about the controversial smoking-cessation pill and abnormal behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation, and actual suicidal behavior. This followed months of headlines that raised questions about the drug’s safety and subsequent reports have done the same thing, including a study last month by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. As the months wore by, Pfizer sales reps began mentioning the safety and side effects, particularly psychiatric side effects, less frequently, according to data from ImpactRx, a market research firm. As the chart indicates, details were more likely to mention the issues in February than in subsequent months. Approximately 200 docs provided info each month about their interactions with Pfizer... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1522440 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:15:10 +0100 1522440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512328&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F310446138%2F An expert in smoking cessation programs says Pfizer brushed aside his concerns a year ago about possibly dangerous side effects from long-term use of Chantix, ABCNews.com reports. John Spangler, who directs the Tobacco Intervention Programs at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, says a study (look here) cited by Pfizer for one-year usage had a small sample size and side effect data was ignored. “It would be like me balancing my checkbook without looking at any of the checks I wrote or the deposits I made. They’ve got to look at the data,” he tells ABCNews.com, adding the researchers ignored possible safety signals. “When I did the inferential calculations, I found a relationship (to serious side effects). They had the data, but they didn’t crunch the da... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512328 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:45:21 +0100 1512328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1502741&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F308026856%2F Or so it would seem. But the weekend piece in The Day, a daily newspaper that covers the region of Connecticut where Pfizer has its R&D headquarters, reads more like a canned press release from the public relations team. Some will say that’s not the issue, because it’s the message that counts. In any event, Martin Mackay reiterates the key points the drugmaker has been attempting to drive home recently, especially after a report from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices linked the smoking-cessation pill to nearly 1,000 serious adverse events. Beyond the info about commitment to patient safety, follow-up studies that are under way and reiterating the warnings in the Chantix label, Mackay mentions both of his parents were smokers and his mom died of lung disease. That... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1502741 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:37:58 +0100 1502741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497458&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fchantix-roundtable-apparently-not-round.html Discussion":"Based on the poem that you posted last week [here], we know that you were anxious to attend our media roundtable today. We’re sorry that you couldn't make it. Would be happy to set up some time with you to speak with some of our medical and safety folks to address your questions."Thanks, Ray. I'm sorry I couldn't make it also, but not so sorry if you really had a roundtable discussion (did I mention that I expected a roundtable?). [I was completely wiped out after my Wednesday night Networking Dinner Meeting in Princeton, NJ. Which was a great success by the way!]But let's put the roundness of the table aside. The important point is to have a "discussion" and your comment is a start. And I WOULD like to speak with some of your medical and safety folks. Here are the points I ... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497458 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:08:00 +0100 1497458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497432&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fdid-chantix-pr-push-work.html Gotcha!But wait!Watch this.The FDA video notes:- neuro psych symptoms even BEFORE the patients stopped smoking- patients with psych symptoms excluded from trials (hmmm, why, one wonders)Someone's blowin' smoke here! (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497432 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:37:00 +0100 1497432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497747&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F305606668%2F Earlier today we ventured to Pfizer’s 42nd Street headquarters in New York because the drugmaker was holding a briefing on Chantix, to address the controversy over its smoking-cessation drug. In last year’s fourth quarter, the pill was linked to nearly 1,000 serious adverse events, such as potentially lethal cardiac rhythm disturbances, severe skin reactions, acute myocardial infarction, seizures, diabetes, psychosis and aggression. This was on top of national headlines about suicidal behavior. The meeting, which lasted about 90 minutes, was largely uneventful, in so far as three Pfizer execs sat at a table in front of approximately 30 journalists and analysts, and reviewed details about the drug, the supporting clinical trials, interactions with the FDA, plans to further exami... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497747 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:56:50 +0100 1497747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497751&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F305364686%2F Here’s some more pressure on ceo Jeff Kindler and his new cfo, Frank D’Amelio. Goldman Sachs, one of the Street’s biggest firms, downgraded Pfizer stock and removed the drugmaker from its “Americas conviction” list, citing the stock’s under performance and a lack of near-term events to boost the value of the shares. The brokerage cut its rating to “neutral” from “buy,” noting that Pfizer’s share price has fallen 28.7 percent since Jan. 4, 2007, versus a 2.9 percent decline in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index SPX, Reuters reports. Goldman further cut its price target on Pfizer to $22 from $26 as near-term pipeline products decrease in value and recent safety issues pressure the brokerage’s forecasts for the dr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497751 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:31:04 +0100 1497751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497754&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F305270098%2F On April 1, the FDA added a video to its Patient Safety News page that discussed Chantix. The 2-1/2 minute clip was meant to update the public on Pfizer’s smoking-cessation pill, which had recently been the subject of a health advisory over neuropsychiatric side effects. But as WhyQuit pointed out, the video was taken down the next day. We subsequently asked the FDA why this occurred and were told there was a technical issue and the content may require an upgrade, but the clip would be reposted shortly. That never happened. Meanwhile, the FDA talking head noted: “During the pre-market studies of this drug, people with serious psychiatric illnesses were not included and that means that the safety of the drug in these populations is really not known.” Hat tip to Pharmago... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497754 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:44:37 +0100 1497754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1492061&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fchantix-pulled-fda-video.html April 1, 2008 - The FDA release a new two and a half minute Chantix safety warning video clip that for the first time admits "links" to serious neuropsychiatric problems in users, including suicide.April 2, 2008 - WhyQuit article expresses concerns over FDA video clip not advising users of the actual number of suicides and not sharing honest efficacy and effectiveness info needed to make informed use decisions.April 3, 2008 - FDA pulls video clip. WhyQuit makes video pulled clip available for viewing. Public Citizen calls upon the FDA to issue a "black box" Chantix warning. (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1492061 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:17:00 +0100 1492061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1492322&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F303973122%2F Spending was off slightly - $1.2927 billion compared with $1.2935 billion - according to DTC Perspectives, citing Nielsen Monitor-Plus data. In other words, no growth. However, the consulting firm notes that the results marked a turnaround from last year’s fourth quarter, when spending declined 15.2 percent, which marked the first quarterly drop since DTC began 10 years ago. The two top media channels struggled as DTC advertising on network TV fell 3.3 percent, excluding pharma corporate advertising, and print DTC in consumer magazines dropping 2.5 percent, also excluding corporate ads, according to DTC Perspectives. Network TV, the consulting firm adds, captured almost 34 percent of all measured DTC advertising in the period. Among brands, a decline in spending by the leading slee... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1492322 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:09:06 +0100 1492322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1492326&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F303835492%2F Last week, Pfizer mounted an aggressive defense of Chantix after the pill was linked to 988 serious injuries and a host of side effects, including heart irregularities, seizures, severe skin reactions, acute myocardial infarction, aggression and suicide. Newspaper ads were run and a media ’roundtable’ was scheduled with Joe Feczko, Pfizer’s chief medical officer, among others. But across the world in India, smokers may not know about the problems from reading the official web site for Champix, the name for the pill in many other markets, unless they register as a Champix club member. In conjunction with the World No Tobacco Day this past Saturday, Pfizer launched the site, which implores smokers to sign up for its club. However, none of the side effects that have caused ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1492326 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:07:59 +0100 1492326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1492329&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F303706650%2F This is a question that won’t go away and it keeps Frank D’Amelio, the drugmaker’s cfo, very busy. For the past few months, a growing number of analysts have openly questioned whether the payout can continue and this morning, The Wall Street Journal takes another whack at the issue. The $8 billion in dividend payments Pfizer made to shareholders last year is, as the paper writes, widely considered to be among the few reasons many investors still hold the stock. Put another way - the stock isn’t attractive for its pipeline or patent expirations. At 6.67 percent, the yield is far superior to the pharma average of 3.37 percent and 2.18 percent for the S&P 500, the paper points out. Pfizer’s board is keeping a close eye on the ability to maintain the dividend... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1492329 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:59:14 +0100 1492329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1488222&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fpfizer-invites-this-blogger-to-chantix.html DiscussionPfizer will host a panel discussion to review the benefit-risk profile of ChantixWHO:Joseph Feczko, Pfizer Chief Medical OfficerSally Susman, Pfizer Chief Communications OfficerGretchen Dieck, SVP Pfizer Safety and Risk ManagementPonni Subbiah, VP Pfizer MedicalWHEN:Thursday, June 5, 2008 * 9:30 – 11:00 AMWHERE:Pfizer Headquarters * 235 East 42nd StreetI suppose I'll have to dress up so as not to get delayed at Pfizer security!More important, however, is what questions I ask them about Chantix? Here are a couple that come to mind:Will the current perceived safety problems of Chantix require some kind of innovative DTC advertising like that for Celebrex?How about a Chantix Blog similar to the alli blog? Is it time for Pfizer to engage patients in that kind of transparent d... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1488222 Fri, 30 May 2008 13:34:00 +0100 1488222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1475180&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fdear-pfizer-please-invite-me-to-your.html The Wall Street Journal reported today that in the wake of questions about Chantix's safety, Pfizer "plans Thursday to run ads in five major newspapers in which its medical director explains Chantix's risk-benefit balance. Next week, the company will start hosting round-table discussions on Chantix for members of the media." [my emphasis; see "Pfizer Seeks to Counter Chantix Concerns".]Regular readers of Pharma Marketing Blog know that I like to be invited to piss inside the tent rather than pissing outside it (see, for example, "Innerstate Private Screening: Philadelphia Style"). When I say "piss," I mean "dis" Chantix as in "Chantix Road Rage - Revisted."If Centocor and Michael Moore can invite me inside their tents, I hope Pfizer will invite me to participate in its roundtable discussio... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1475180 Thu, 29 May 2008 12:19:00 +0100 1475180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478221&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F300481304%2F The drugmaker is trying to salvage what was supposed to have been a blockbuster drug but is, instead, quickly becoming an albatross, especially after a report last week showing the anti-smoking med was linked to 988 serious injuries in last year’s fourth quarter and a host of side effects, including heart irregularities, seizures and acute myocardial infarcation. In the wake of the safety questions, the stunned drugmaker today will run ads in five major newspapers in which its medical director explains risk-benefit balance, according to The Wall Street Journal. Next week, the drugmaker will start hosting roundtable discussions for the media and letters will be sent to 300,000 healthcare professionals. The PR and ad campaign come as fresh questions are raised about whether Chantix is ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478221 Thu, 29 May 2008 11:06:37 +0100 1478221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1475156&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fchantix-found-in-ad-agencys-wastebasket.html Shannon Pettypiece has the story.Insider's take: Start prescribing again when Pfizer can claim "Chantix - the pilots' choice!" (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1475156 Thu, 29 May 2008 10:53:00 +0100 1475156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1464198&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F296600993%2F First, we’re told we can’t fly our planes if we’re also using Chantix to quit smoking. Now, we can’t drive our rigs, either. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a warning that advises medical examiners “to not qualify anyone currently using this medication for commercial motor vehicle licenses,” according to The Wall Street Journal. The move follows a study by the Institute of Safe Medication Practices that found a host of side effects linked to Pfizer’s quit-smoking pill - serious accidents and falls, potentially lethal cardiac rhythm disturbances, severe skin reactions, acute myocardial infarction, seizures, diabetess, psychosis, aggression and suicide. The FMCSA, by the way, oversees interstate trucking and bus activity. ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1464198 Fri, 23 May 2008 15:00:27 +0100 1464198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1466100&cid=t_93922_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F296637107%2Ftrucking_association_joins_airlines_in_chantix_warning.html The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration today issued a warning advising medical examiners "to not qualify anyone currently using this medication (Chantix) for commercial motor vehicle licenses."The anti-smoking drug Chantix (varenicline), made by Pfizer Inc., came under fire earlier this year when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration upped an early communication to a warning due to the increased number of adverse side effects being reported. In February the FDA required Pfizer to include a warning about the possible neuropsychiatric symptoms.The FMCSA based their decision on... (Source: PharmaGazette) PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1466100 Fri, 23 May 2008 14:00:28 +0100 1466100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1460974&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Ftrains-planes-school-vans-unsafe-for.html I have just learned that the Institute for Safe Medication Practices suggests that there may be "safety concerns (about people taking Chantix while) operating aircraft, trains, buses and other vehicles, or in other settings where a lapse in alertness or motor control could lead to massive, serious injury." (See summary of study here.)The FAA, which reviewed the report, barred pilots and air traffic controllers from taking the drug, the WSJ reports.If other transportation officials -- eg, Amtrak, school bus transportation supervisors, taxicab companies, etc. -- follow the FAA's lead, the Chantix "road rage" loophole I first reported on in April would be closed (see "Chantix Road Rage - Revisted"). At that time I suggested that real Chantix-induced road rage was not the problem. But using Ch... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1460974 Thu, 22 May 2008 10:55:00 +0100 1460974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1461245&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F295360177%2F The smoking-cessation drug has generated headlines over links to suicide, but the Pfizer pill is now being tied to other serious adverse events reported to the FDA, according to a study published in Drug & Therapeutics Bulletin. And the authors urge the FDA and Pfizer to conduct epidemiological studies to assess further risks and to issue new warnings. Wall Street, meanwhile, is worried the study will cause Chantix sales to go up in smoke. Chantix is suspected of causing a “wide spectrum of injuries,” including serious accidents and falls, potentially lethal cardiac rhythm disturbances, severe skin reactions, acute myocardial infarction, seizures, diabetess, psychosis, aggression and suicide, the authors write. The findings prompted the Federal Aviation Adminstration to ba... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1461245 Wed, 21 May 2008 22:04:10 +0100 1461245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1440400&cid=t_93922_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F289445051%2F The May 10th episode of All in the Mind is an excellent discussion of the latest research about nicotine addiction. It includes a very balanced look at the controversy over the new smoking cessation drug, varenicline, which is sold in the US as Chantix. Nicotine has a unique effect on certain neurotransmitter receptors in the brain. Varenicline works as a partial agonist, which means it mimics some of the effects of nicotine, but it also blocks the receptor so that when a person smokes the experience is not rewarding. However, since the receptors involved also have other functions (they aren’t there to respond to the nicotine in cigarettes just like the opiate receptors are not there to respond to man-made narcotics), using the drug can lead to a wide variety of side effects. Balanci... the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1440400 Tue, 13 May 2008 22:06:07 +0100 1440400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1420661&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F284103078%2F The new campaign appears to replace the “My Time To Quit” ads that ran after links to suicide were reported earlier this year. A Pfizer spokesman tells us the drugmaker is “exploring” advertising Chantix again in various print and TV outlets after holding talks with the FDA, and claims the ads are being revived because smoking is a public health problem and the ads prompt smokers to talk to docs about quitting. This comes just three months after the FDA issued a health advisory about abnormal behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior with Pfizer’s anti-smoking drug, new ads have started to appear. Chantix, you may recall, was associated with 491 cases of suicidal thinking or behavior, including 420 in the US. And of those there 39 suici... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1420661 Mon, 05 May 2008 18:19:25 +0100 1420661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1404247&cid=t_93922_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fdownside-for-anti-craving-drugs%2F Side Effects Imperil Addiction Drugs Reports of increased risk of depression and suicide are dimming the future prospects of drugs designed to treat addictions to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, the Associated Press reported. Development of anti-addiction drugs has gained increased attention from pharmaceutical companies in recent years, but problems associated with drugs like the antismoking medication Chantix — a Pfizer drug linked to numerous suicide attempts — has led to concerns that the drugs block feelings of pleasure as well as craving for drugs. One possible solution would be to limit prescriptions of these drugs to patients who have no history of depression. The FDA says a link between Chantix and depression is “increasingly likely,” but Pfizer offici... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1404247 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:08:50 +0100 1404247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1399132&cid=t_93922_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2F25%2Fanti-addiction-pills-face-obstacles%2F Imagine taking a weight-loss pill and losing dozens of pounds, only to find yourself profoundly depressed for no reason. Imagine taking a stop-smoking pill and not feeling the urge to light up a cigarette every again, only to find your mind plagued with suicidal thoughts. No need to imagine these things — these are the kinds of side effects actually being experienced today by people looking to kick an addiction. Marilynn Marchione has the AP story, Risk of depression dims hopes for anti-addiction pills about the barriers facing the race to develop anti-addiction pills. Namely serious psychiatric side effects that their manufacturers hadn’t quite counted on. These “super pills” were supposed to the Next Big Thing in pharmaceuticals: The buzz started four years a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1399132 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:18:04 +0100 1399132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1360587&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fchantix-road-rage-revisted.html Depressed mood, agitation, and "suicide ideation" have been reported among some users of Chantix and the FDA recently issued a public health advisory on the smoking-cessation drug (see "FDA Issues Public Health Advisory on Chantix").While the FDA rightly focuses on this important possible side effect, it is ignoring the more troubling "road rage" side effect that seems to be much more common and dangerous to innocent bystanders than is suicide, which, after all, solves the victim's nicotine addiction problem once and for all!Of course, the most famous case of Chantix-induced rage was the story of Carter Albrecht, a prominent Dallas musician who was shot to death by a neighbor who was threatened by Albrecht's attack on his front door.Very few reports about Chantix-induced road rage, however... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1360587 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:31:00 +0100 1360587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1360588&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fsometimes-doctors-and-patients-were.html I can't help reading this story about Exubera reported in the WSJ Health Blog and thinking: "Thank God that physicians (and patients) don't fall for ALL the BS pharmaceutical marketers throw at them."Pfizer said this morning that it’s adding a warning about lung cancer to the labeling for its inhaled insulin Exubera. The number of cases is low — six out of 4,740 patients treated with the drug, compared with one case out of 4,292 comparable patients who did not receive the drug. (see "Lung Cancer Warning May Be Last Gasp for Inhaled Insulin").Of course, Pfizer says that "all patients who developed lung cancer had a prior history of cigarette smoking, and that there were too few cases to determine whether the development of lung cancer is related to the use of Exubera" (see Pfizer's stat... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1360588 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:23:00 +0100 1360588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1255193&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F240858199%2F Welcome to the working week. We hope you enjoyed the break. And now, it’s back to business. Meetings and deadlines loom. After all, there is always something that needs to be done. To help you cope, we have gathered a few items that should help you catch up and prepare. So grab a cup of something hot or a bottle of water and get acclimated. Hope your day goes well… Darryle Schoepp, a former Lilly scientist who now works at Merck, jumpstarted research into what may be the next generation of drugs for treating schizophrenia, The New York Times writes. His trial results were a major breakthrough in neuroscience, according to Tom Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health. “This drug really looks like it’s quite a different animal,” he says. “This is actuall... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1255193 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:38:50 +0100 1255193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1223813&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F233402093%2F For all the puzzling or disturbing stories about the Pfizer smoking-cessation drug, the details have usually been restricted to dry recitation of scientific data and specific, but brief descriptions of strange side effects, predominantly hallucination. However, Derek De Koff, a contributor to New York magazine, writes a lengthy first-person account of what it was like to take the controversial med. And the tale he tells is troubling, especially given that the FDA recently upgraded warnings about suicidal behavior amid reports of 34 suicides. Here are a few excerpts… “The most unsettling thing about sleeping on Chantix is that I never felt like I was truly asleep. Some part of me remained on guard. It was more like lucid dreaming, what I thought it might feel like to be hypnoti... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1223813 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 22:04:18 +0100 1223813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1222427&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F233303328%2F Who doesn’t like a list? This one shows the ranking of branded drug sites that drove consumer requests for prescriptions and is based on a survey of 5,112 adults in the US, according to Manhattan Research. Most likely, you won’t find it surprising that the sites are for meds that treat such afflictions as impotence, insomnia and nicotine addiction. 1 - Chantix 2 - Cialis 3 - Viagra 4 - Aciphex 5 - Ambien CR 6 - Levitra 7 - Lamisil 8 - Lunesta 9 - Wellbutrin XL 10 - Ortho Evra (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1222427 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:11:00 +0100 1222427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1222430&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F233198433%2F Over the past few years, the FDA has sometimes issued important news - including health advisories - on Friday afternoons. Why does this matter? For one, releasing anything late in the day means the news is more likely to get lost as the media face looming deadlines. This may matter less as more people get their news from the Internet, but the public may also be paying less attention as their day draws to a close. This is especially true on a Friday afternoon, when people are finishing the work week and focusing on other things. Yet, the FDA persists in issuing health advisories on Friday afternoons. For instance, last Friday, the agency issued an advisory about serious side effects, including deaths, associated with Botox. The week before, there was news about upgraded warnings on the lab... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1222430 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:07:23 +0100 1222430 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1204680&cid=t_93922_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F229163269%2Fchantix_early_communication_be.html In November the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an Early Communication warning that Pfizer's anti-smoking drug Chantrix may be associated with increased suicidal thoughts and aggressive behavior.On Friday the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory announcing that it has asked Pfizer to include the warning to the label of Chantrix.The FDA stated that after reviewing adverse event reports that it appeared that it was increasingly likely that there may be "an association between Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms." The FDA has therefore asked Pfizer to increase the prominence of the label warning and in the prescribing section of the drug. The FDA also stated that it is working with Pfizer to finalize a Medication guide for patients."Chantix has p... PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1204680 Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:00:37 +0100 1204680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1198738&cid=t_93922_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F228589018%2Fchantix-and-suicide.html Discussions about a possible link between Chantix and suicide were fueled by the death last year of New Bohemians lead singer Carter Albrecht, who was shot while attempting to break into a house in Dallas. His girlfriend told authorities that his behavior had been erratic since he began taking Chantix in an effort to stop smoking.In no case are the numbers of suicides linked to any of the drugs alarmingly high. The FDA study of epilepsy medications appears to demonstrate, as summed up by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Bernadette Tansey, “2.1 more people for every 1,000 on the medications exhibited suicidal thoughts or behavior, compared with every 1,000 on placebo.”Note that the FDA is not discussing an increased risk of suicide, but rather an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or fe... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1198738 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 22:59:00 +0100 1198738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1194996&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F227458487%2F The FDA has announced a public health advisory about abnormal behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation, and actual suicidal behavior with Pfizer’s anti-smoking drug. And has provided updated numbers - 491 cases of suicidal thinking or behavior, including 420 in the US. And of those, there were 39 suicides, including 34 in the US. “We’ve become increasingly concerned as we see a number of cases that truly look like exposure to the drug and not other causes,” says Bob Rappaport, director of the FDA’s division of anesthesia, analgesia and rheumatology products, in a briefing this afternoon with reporters. Pfizer has contended that “some reports may have been complicated by the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal in patients who stopped smoking, b... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1194996 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 21:15:24 +0100 1194996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1175051&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F222264192%2F The new rules represent one of the most profound changes of the past 16 years to regulations governing drug development. But since the F.D.A.’s oversight of experimental medicines is done in secret, the agency’s shift has not been announced publicly, The New York Times reports. The drug industry, however, is keenly aware of the change. Makers of drugs to treat obesity, urinary incontinence, epilepsy, smoking cessation, depression and many other conditions are being asked for the first time by the FDA to put a comprehensive suicide assessment into their trials, the paper writes. In recent months, the FDA sent letters - but wouldn’t say how many - to drugmakers requiring they use such a scale. Merck, Sanofi-Aventis and Eli Lilly are all using a detailed suicide assessment in clini... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1175051 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:31:29 +0100 1175051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1161237&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F218880953%2F The drugmaker updates the label to reflect ongoing concern that the anti-smoking drug is connected to suicidal thoughts and behavior. You may call last November, the FDA began reviewing cases of suicidal thoughts and aggressive and erratic behavior in Chantix patients that were received from Pfizer, along with a number of reports from the media and internet sites. At the time, the agency wrote on its web site that “a preliminary assessment reveals that many of the cases reflect new-onset of depressed mood, suicidal ideation and changes in emotion and behavior within days to weeks of taking Chantix.” And so today Pfizer says its updated label includes a warning “that patients who are attempting to quit smoking with Chantix should be observed for serious neuropsychiatric symptoms, ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1161237 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:22:22 +0100 1161237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1152855&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F217116770%2F Yesterday, we wrote how Pfizer may have made an end run around FDA regs with a pair of TV ads this past Sunday night. The first one was a quick flash of the Chantix logo during an NFL update, which was also sponsored by Pfizer. After the segment on football scores ended, a regular ad appeared for a Pfizer site devoted to quitting smoking, which links you to the official Chantix site. The issue: the first ad smelled like a reminder ad. After all, a logo is there to remind you of something, yes? And the second ad, while not suggesting anyone visit a doc, was about as close as one get to running a so-called ‘help seeking’ ad without actually doing so. By themselves, neither require any product risk info. But taken together, it would appear risk info is required and the ads, there... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1152855 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:23:59 +0100 1152855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1149832&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F216470997%2F There was an interesting moment during CBS’ ‘60 Minutes’ last night that had nothing to do with the news programming. First, there was a brief NFL update break that featured the logo for Chantix, the drug that is pitched to help you quit smoking. The announcer also noted the update was sponsored by Chantix. Then, after the rundown, there was an ad for, yes, Chantix. Well, sort of. The ad actually promoted a web site called MyTimeToQuit, which of course takes you to the Chantix site. As John Mack at PharmaMarketing blog points out, this raises an interesting question about whether Pfizer skirted FDA regs. Here’s why: the logo and sponsorship at the front end of the NFL update smells like a reminder ad, which mentions the Chantix name but not the indication (some may ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1149832 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:07:32 +0100 1149832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1149698&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fdid-pfizer-run-chantix-bookend-ad.html Last night, while watching 60 Minutes on CBS, there was an "NFL Today" playoff update break with James Brown.As the spot came on, Brown first mentioned that the break was sponsored by CHANTIX, Pfizer's smoking cessation pill and program (see "A Pill, a Plan, a Profit? -- Chantix!"). He did NOT mention its indication, however. The CHANTIX logo was right next to him, very visible, fairly large, and near the center of the screen (see my representation at left).After about 30 seconds of playoff scores came the ad, which was a "non-branded" Pfizer ad for the "My Time to Quit" web site (http://www.mytimetoquit.com).My question is this: is the sequence [brand sponsorship message -- 30 seconds of show -- non-branded ad associated with the previously mentioned brand] a "Bookend Ad"?FDA has issued g... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1149698 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:02:00 +0100 1149698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1084422&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F198348012%2F The Pfizer smoking cessation drug will go on sale Down Under next month, but only with warnings of links to suicidal thoughts, according to news.com.au. Packs of tablets will contain extra info warning that some patients have suffered from depression, agitation and suicidal thoughts while taking the drug. And Dear Doctor letters are being sent. The FDA, however, has yet to take the same step (as Furious Seasons notes). Last month, the agency began a review after receiving reports from Pfizer of suicidal thoughts and aggressive and erratic behavior in patients who have taken Chantix. More than 5,000 adverse events have been reported to the FDA. In explaining its decision, the Therapeutic Goods Administration said it reviewed reports submitted to the FDA and ordered Pfizer to issue “De... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1084422 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 01:47:02 +0100 1084422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1071126&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F195478183%2F The sky has yet to brighten, but we feel chipper enough to get an early start, as usual. This promises to be a busy day for those who are curious about what Bristol-Myers Squibb ceo Jim Cornelius will say about cutting costs and the like. Of course, there are always a variety of developments to track - for instance, Pfizer’s Chantix is blamed for another suicide (see below). So grab a cup of coffee because here are a few… Family Blames Chantix For Man’s Suicide (The Telegraph) Sanofi-Aventis Will Keep R&D Spending At Currrent Levels (PharmaTimes) Wyeth Says Glaxo Rival Won’t Derail Prevnar (Reuters) Novartis Plans Four New Cancer Drugs (The Wall Street Journal) Japan’s Health Ministry Plans Generic Incentives (Bloomberg News) Share / E-mail (Source: Pharm... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1071126 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:50:48 +0100 1071126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1058438&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F192344023%2F This is a classic case of publicity prompting reports of side effects. More than 5,000 adverse events were reported to the FDA after the widely publicized Albrecht case in Texas two months ago, according to WFAA, a Dallas/Ft. Worth television station. For those who don’t recall, a musician named Carter Albrecht was in a drunken rage and banged on the door of a homeowner, who feared an intruder, and shot and killed the young man. Although Albrecht was later found to have tested for a high level of alcohol, he’d also begun taking Pfizer’s Chantix, the smoking-cessation drug, a week earlier and complained of vivid dreams. Ultimately, the Dallas medical examiner ruled the Pfizer smoking-cessation drug didn’t play a role in the death, although there was controversy over the deci... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1058438 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:34:23 +0100 1058438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1044050&cid=t_93922_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F188450171%2Ffda_issues_early_communication_for_chantix.html The U. S Food and Drug Administration announced that it is currently evaluating postmarketing adverse event reports for Chantix (varenicline), a prescription drug that aides adults to stop smoking.Pfizer Inc recently submitted reports, based on the FDA's request, describing suicidal thoughts. Also being evaluated is reports of erratic and aggressive behavior. The FDA stressed the warning "does not mean that FDA has concluded that there is a causal relationship between the drug and the emerging safety issue."FDA recommends the following: Healthcare professionals should monitor patients taking Chantix for behavior and mood changes. Patients taking Chantix should contact their doctors if they experience behavior or mood changes. Patients should use caution when driving or operat... PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1044050 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:00:14 +0100 1044050 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1040244&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F187913188%2F The FDA has received reports from the drugmaker of suicidal thoughts and aggressive and erratic behavior in patients who have taken Chantix, a smoking cessation product. And so the agency is reviewing the cases, along with a number of reports from the media and internet sites. The agency writes on its web site today that “a preliminary assessment reveals that many of the cases reflect new-onset of depressed mood, suicidal ideation and changes in emotion and behavior within days to weeks of taking Chantix.” “The role of Chantix in these cases is not clear because smoking cessation, with or without treatment, is associated with nicotine withdrawal symptoms and has also been associated with the exacerbation of underlying psychiatric illness,” the FDA states. “How... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1040244 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:32:04 +0100 1040244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1015033&cid=t_93922_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2F181808504%2Fnicotine-vaccine-doubles-quit-rate-in.html NicVax still showing promise against cigarette addictionNabi Biopharmaceutical announced this week that an experimental vaccine it has been testing against nicotine addiction had shown itself to be effective in human trials. Volunteers were more than twice as likely to quit, compared to a control group whose members were injected with a placebo.The company-funded study gave volunteers five injections of NicVax, Nabi’s proprietary drug, or else a placebo. In regulatory filings, the company claims that the vaccine triggers an antibody response, which prevents nicotine molecules from reaching the brain. The antibodies bind with the nicotine molecules, making nicotine too large to cross the exceedingly fine blood-brain barrier of the brain. Roughly 15 per cent of smokers who received injecti... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1015033 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:54:00 +0100 1015033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=996638&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F178214597%2F Do you remember that high-profile shooting in Texas two months ago? A musician named Carter Albrecht was in a drunken range and banged on the door of a homeowner, who feared an intruder, and shot and killed the young man. Although Albrecht was later found to have tested for a high level of alcohol, he’d also begun taking Pfizer’s Chantix, the smoking-cessation drug, a week earlier and complained of vivid dreams. That stirred a national controversy over the extent to which the drug can cause hallucinations, which were noted as only a rare psychiatric disorder in the prescribing information. Pfizer officials have maintained there’s no evidence to suggest Chantix causes violent behavior. Nonetheless, the “Chantix dreams” were cited by Albrecht’s family and ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=996638 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:01:05 +0100 996638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=968377&cid=t_93922_122_f&fid=35055&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsarasotaneurology.com%2F2007%2F10%2F22%2Fstroke-prevention-a-better-way-of-stroke-treatment%2F The objective is to have a total cholesterol less than 180, good cholesterol (HDL) of greater than 50 and bad cholesterol (LDL) less than 100. A recent study published in the journal Stroke reported that discontinuing statin therapy in the year after a stroke is associated with a significant increase in the risk for death, even in the absence of heart disease. Medications are not the only treatment for stroke prevention. Smoking is associated with a 2-3 times greater risk of stroke and bleeding in the brain. Smoking also contributes to the accelerated development of heart disease, emphysema and peripheral artery disease. Chantix is a new medication that received FDA approval to help stop smoking. Exercise is important in maintaining overall body conditioning and weight control. This in tur... Sarasota Neurology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=968377 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:15:34 +0100 968377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=947335&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fchantix-californication-dreamin-viagra.html In the Larry Niven science fiction story, Death by Ecstasy, a belter, Owen Jennison, is found dead on Earth in a locked Los Angeles apartment. His death is an apparent suicide. Hamilton, a friend and former crewmate of Jennison, is called to the scene to investigate. He finds Owen with a droud (a wirehead's transformer) plugged into the back of his head. The latter apparently starved himself to death while continuously stimulating the pleasure center of his own brain.In the real world of today, there are many legal and illegal drugs and other chemical compounds that people use to stimulate their pleasure centers. One such agent is nicotine. Another is Pfizer's Chantix, a smoking cessation drug that competes with nicotine to stimulate the brain's pleasure center.Below is a page from the boo... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=947335 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:11:00 +0100 947335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=907051&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fpill-plan-profit-chantix.html Slow and steady wins the race. That is the message of the new Chantix TV DTC (direct to consumer) ads that feature a race between a tortoise and a hare.The Chantix tortoise is not related to the Comcastic "Slowsky's" shown in this YouTube video (one of my favorite TV commercials!):BTW, the hare on the Chantix TV ad is a scrawny, reddish -- devilish, may one say? -- hare; not a cute cuddly rabbit like the Everyready bunny!Yet, strange to say, this devilish-looking hare does NOT make it to the Chantix Web site, which features a much more ordinary and benign-looking RABBIT (see image on left, click to enlarge).All this imagery serves a purpose -- the Chantix marketers are telling us that quitting smoking is long process requiring a steady, tortoise-like approach.According to the Web site:"Qui... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=907051 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:16:00 +0100 907051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=824743&cid=t_93922_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Faddiction-dirkh.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fsmoking-in-new-york-city.html A Borough-By-Borough Survey New York City has 240,000 fewer smokers than it did in 2002, according to a recent report released by the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. City health official Jennifer Ellis told the New York Times that the data represent the sharpest fall-off in cigarette smoking since the department began the surveys in 1993.The report cited bans on smoking in public places, higher taxes on tobacco products, and a multi-million dollar local advertising campaign as the ingredients that helped lead to the overall reduction in the number of smokers. Based on a citywide survey of adults, Who’s Still Smoking states that as many as 800,000 smokers attempted to quit in the past year, but less than one-fifth of them succeeded.However, quit rates over the 5-year per... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=824743 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:00:00 +0100 824743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=815356&cid=t_93922_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F146887133%2F After a spell of rain here in the nation’s medicine chest, we look forward to clearer skies, which should hopefully provide more clarity on world events, as well. We hope the weather where you are is nice. Here are a few items to help you enjoy the view… Merck, Newron Drug Failed To Help Parkinson’s Patients (Bloomberg News) Pfizer Breaks Ground On $50M Plant Expansion (The St. Louis Post-Dispatch) Roche Extends Tender Offer For Ventana Medical Systems (The International Herald Tribune/AP) Patient Groups Hail UK’s NICE Decision To Cover Roche Arthritis Med (PharmaTimes) UK’s NICE Rejects Lilly Lung-Cancer Treatment (Bloomberg News) PhRMA Paid Cornerstone Government $120K To Lobby Washington (Yahoo/AP) Sepracor Hires Drinker, Biddle To Lobby DC (Yahoo/AP) Pfize... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=815356 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:32:50 +0100 815356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=730523&cid=t_93922_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Faddiction-dirkh.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Feuropean-tree-yields-new-alcoholism.html Anti-Smoking Drug Also Curbs Alcohol CravingA drug approved last year for smoking cessation has also shown promise for use against alcoholism, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), announced yesterday. Varenicline, currently marketed by Pfizer for smoking cessation under the trade name Chantix, dramatically curbed drinking in alcohol-preferring rats, according to the study, which will be published online this week by “The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.” The synthetic drug was modeled after a cytosine compound from the European Labumum tree, combined with an alkaloid from the poppy plant.Since an estimated 85 per cent of alcoholics are also cigarette smokers, varenicline could have an immediate effect on this common dual addiction. The drug... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=730523 Tue, 10 Jul 2007 19:03:00 +0100 730523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=612174&cid=t_93922_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D2145 From The Examining Room of Dr. Charles In my anecdotal experience, I’ve been seeing tremendous success with a medicine called Chantix. It helps people quit smoking by binding to nicotine receptors, which reduces cravings, and when combined with smoking makes you very nauseous. I would estimate that this reduced craving and negative feedback seems to be working in about 70% of my patients, although the clinical trials showed only 44% quit rates versus 17% for placebo and 30% for Zyban. Chantix is not yet here in Malaysia. It has great potential to help the numerous people here addicted to cigarette smoking as it works in a unique fashion. It blocks nicotine (the addictive component of cigarettes) from entering parts of the brain thus removing the reward or enjoyment that one gets fro... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=612174 Tue, 15 May 2007 22:31:43 +0100 612174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=730536&cid=t_93922_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Faddiction-dirkh.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F01%2Fnew-drug-for-smokers.html First there was Wellbutrin, an antidepressant which helped cut down on the cravings and nicotine withdrawal symptoms for many addicted smokers when it was marketed as the smoking cessation aid Zyban. In May, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) okayed a second medication for the treatment of nicotine addiction. Chantix, the trade name for varenicline tartrate, works on the dopamine system to reduce withdrawal and craving symptoms, like Zyban. In randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies involving more than 3,500 smokers, Chantix outperformed both placebos and Zyban. Common side effects included nausea, headache and vomiting. Two studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that about 22 per cent of smokers on Chantix were abstinent at the one-y... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=730536 Fri, 26 Jan 2007 20:34:00 +0100 730536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=438155&cid=t_93922_117_f&fid=34444&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.webmd.com%2Fallergies-and-asthma%2F2006%2F06%2Fchantix-new-hope-for-adults-with.html Chantix: a new pill that could dramatically help half of adults with asthma Singulair helps about 20% of adults with asthma. Inhaled corticosteroids help about 80% of those with asthma. A few weeks ago (May 2006), the FDA approved varenicline (Chantix from Pfizer), which enables about half of adult smokers to quit smoking. Half of adults with asthma are smokers and smoking always worsens the airway inflammation of asthma. So I think that Chantix is the best new "asthma drug" to become available in the last ten years. In my opinion, every person with asthma who also smokes should finally decide to quit and then ask their doctor about Chantix. Some people can quit "cold turkey" but most smokers are physically and psychologically addicted to nicotine. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as gum... Allergies and Asthma blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=438155 Tue, 06 Jun 2006 04:00:00 +0100 438155