Pa. Woman Accuses Pfizer of Selling Contaminated Chantix

PITTSBURGH — A Pennsylvania woman has accused Pfizer Inc. of selling an adulterated version of its recalled smoking-cessation drug Chantix, and that the varenicline-containing drug (VCD) had been contaminated with the probable human carcinogen n-nitroso-varenicline.

In an Oct. 8 complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, plaintiff Karen Duff alleges Pfizer knew Chantix could contain other potential nitrosamines, such as n-nitrosdimethylamine (NDMA) and n-nitrosodiethlamine (NDEA).

Chantix (varenicline) is a partial nicotine agonist that was approved in May 2006 to aid in smoking cessation. Unlike many other smoking cessation aids, Chantix does not contain …