Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:54:0
Melvin Baker - AHN Reporter
Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Smoking cessation drugs Chantix and Zyban must carry boxed warnings because the drugs may cause depression and suicidal thoughts, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday.
Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the agency's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said an analysis of reports from patients and clinical trials found that some taking the drugs experienced "unusual changes in behavior, become depressed, or had their depression worsen, and had thoughts of suicide or dying."
Similar warnings also will be issued for buproprion, an antidepressant sold both as a generic and under the trade name of Wellbutrin. The medication already carries a caution for suicidal behavior.
Physicians prescribing Chantix or Zyban should monitor patients for unusual changes in mood or behavior, Woodcock advised, and patients should contact their doctors if they experience such changes.
Chantix is manufacture by New York-based Pfizer, while Zyban is made by GlaxoSmithKline of the United Kingdom.
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