Study finds no higher risk of depression or heart attack in patients using Champix (varenicline) for smoking cessation- Pfizer

A study, published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine, tracked over 150,000 smokers in England over six months. It found that those taking Champix (varenicline) from Pfizer, (marketed as Chantix outside of Europe), were at no higher risk of depression or suffering a heart attack than those using other drugs or nicotine-replacement therapy.

The study identified 164,766 patients who received a prescription (106,759 for nicotine replacement treatment; 6557 for bupropion; 51,450 for varenicline) between Jan 1, 2007, and June 30, 2012. Neither bupropion nor varenicline showed an increased risk of any cardiovascular or neuropsychiatric event compared with NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) (all hazard ratios [HRs] < 1). Varenicline was associated with a significantly reduced risk of ischaemic heart disease (HR 0·80 [95%CI 0·72–0·87]), cerebral infarction (0·62 [0·52–0·73]), heart failure (0·61 [0·45–0·83]), arrhythmia (0·73 [0·60–0·88]), depression (0·66 [0·63–0·69]), and self-harm (0·56 [0·46–0·68]).