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Chantix Sales Not Encouraging- Pfizer

May 12, 2009

The concern that cahntix leads to suicidal tendencies and other psychological problems has been a major hindrance in the sale of Chantix, Pfizer’s anti-smoking drug. According to reports from Pfizer the sale of their stop-smoking drug continue to slide. Chantix (varenicline) was approved by the FDA in May 2006 as a prescription medication to promote smoking cessation by reducing the positive effects of nicotine. The drug works by binding to the nicotine receptors in the brain, reducing nicotine craving. However, by targeting nicotine receptor sites in the brain, the drug has also been associated with various psychological side effects, such as suicide, suicidal thought and unusual aggressive behavior.

After the drug was first introduced with no warnings or indications that it may increase the risk of suicidal behavior, Chantix quickly grew into a potential blockbuster medication for Pfizer. With heavy marketing, Chantix generated sales of $883 million during its first full year on the market and was expected to grow into a multi-billion dollar a year drug. But now the sale of the drug has gone down drastically. Pfizer has updated the Chantix warning label several times since late 2007, and they have seen sales decline as users have become more aware of the potential risk of suicide and other problems. For the first quarter of 2009, Pfizer reports that sales of Chantix dropped another 36% to $177 million.