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Article: Doctors raised Chantix worries last year; Quiet investigation preceded warnings by months.(PAGE ONE)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- July 8, 2008
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 The Washington Times LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Audrey Hudson and Amy Fagan
Department of Veterans Affairs doctors began raising red flags last year about whether the smoking-cessation drug Chantix was causing severe psychotic episodes among veterans, prompting a quiet investigation last fall but no warning for many months to the 32,000 retired service members prescribed the medication, according to internal agency documents reviewed by The Washington Times.
"Early reports" from doctors at VA medical centers were flowing in throughout 2007, well before the U.S. government and drug maker Pfizer Inc. issued public warnings late last year and earlier this year that Chantix had been linked to ...