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Article: SIDE EFFECTS ARE DOCTORS' LOYALTIES DIVIDED? Ads, class ignore drug's downside Maker of Chantix sponsors UW course on smoking cessation
- Article from:
- The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI)
- Article date:
- April 28, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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A Pfizer promotional campaign for the controversial drug Chantix -
- which includes financing a course for doctors through the
University of Wisconsin-Madison -- has helped the drug dominate the
prescription smoking-treatment market while burying mention of its
serious side effects.
Chantix now accounts for 90% of smoking cessation prescriptions,
even though the Food and Drug Administration has been investigating
the drug for a rash of serious side effects, such as suicidal
behavior and blackouts.
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 first-line treatment, even
though ...