Chantix Left Four Children as Orphans, Suit Charges

Pfizer has faced hundreds of complaints that its anti-smoking drug Chantix caused suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Now a federal lawsuit claims the drug is responsible for a murder-suicide that left four children orphans.  

On May 17, 2009, a Beaver County, Pa., man and his wife were found dead by a newspaper delivery woman in the front yard of their home. Police said Sean Wain, 34, shot and killed his wife, Natalie, 33, before shooting himself.

Sean Wain was found lying on his shotgun, police said. Three of the couple's four children, then aged 10-14, were home at the time.

A suit filed this month in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh alleges that Sean Wain was prescribed Chantix in October 2007 and had been using it for only a few weeks before his death. It was not until after the deaths of the Wains that Pfizer began including “black box” warnings that Chantix could cause violent behavior, rage, suicidal ideation and death.

The Wains are survived by four children: Zachary, Cassidy, Amy and Melissa. The suit, filed on behalf of the children, seeks damages to provide for their financial loss, emotional suffering and legal expenses.

Chantix (varenicline) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2006 and quickly became Pfizer's fastest-growing product, with sales of more than $60 million in 2008.

Consumer watchdog groups have criticized Pfizer's aggressive promotion of the drug, which included a “consumer education” effort called mytimetoquit.com.

The company also launched a widespread program promoting Chantix to doctors while downplaying or omitting information about the drug's potential side effects, the suit charges.

The suit also alleges that several clinical trials demonstrated the increased risk of serious injury and death among Chantix users. In the fourth quarter of 2007, the drug accounted for 988 serious injuries reported to the FDA, more than any other drug during that time period.

By July 2009, the FDA had reports of 4,762 reports of serious psychiatric events, including 98 suicides, among patients taking Chantix.

The suit charges Pfizer was negligent in its design, testing and promotion of the drug.