Pharmaceutical company Pfizer has agreed to a $44 million class action settlement over its oral prescription medication Chantix. Approved by the FDA in May 2006 as a smoking-cessation aid, the drug was taken off the market in 2021.
The lawsuit claims that the prescription medication was contaminated with high levels of a certain nitrosamine, a known carcinogen that may raise the risk of developing cancer. The suit also alleges that “Pfizer failed to comply with current good manufacturing practices,” was negligent, and violated consumer protection laws.
The company did not admit fault. In the settlement, Pfizer said the company “believes it did nothing wrong and denies that it violated any law,” but agreed to settle in order to avoid further “uncertainties and expenses” that may be associated with the suit.
Who is eligible for a payout?
Anyone, including third parties, who paid any amount of money for the drug between September 29, 2015, and September 17, 2021, in the United States and its territories is eligible for a payout.
However, in order to qualify, consumers must be able to provide some form of documentation of their Chantix purchases, such as receipts or credit card statements.
Consumers will be paid on a “pro rata basis” reflecting the amounts they paid for the drug, capped at 20% of the Available Settlement Fund. Individual claims cannot exceed what a consumer actually spent on the drug. Third-party payers will receive any funds remaining after consumer claims are paid. The final amount consumers will receive will depend on the final approval hearing, set for October 13, 2026.
How can consumers file a claim?
The settlement advises consumers who wish to file a claim to fill out a form directly on the settlement site. “You can submit your Claim Form online at the Settlement Website or download a paper Claim Form to mail in. If possible, include documents to support your claim,” it explains. The form must be submitted online by September 14, 2026, or postmarked by the same date.
After being on the market for around 15 years, Pfizer recalled all lots of the drug in 2021 over concerns that long-term use could increase the risk of cancer due to elevated levels of the nitrosamine N-nitroso-varenicline. The drug came off the market for good soon after the recall.
Still, the company said at the time that the “health benefits of stopping smoking outweigh the theoretical potential cancer risk from the nitrosamine impurity in varenicline.”
The lawsuit over Chantix’s potential cancer risks is far from the first suit concerning the medication. More than 2,700 lawsuits were filed against Pfizer beginning in 2008 over claims that the drug led to severe mental health complications and psychiatric disorders. One 2011 case even blamed the drug for a murder-suicide that took place in Pennsylvania. That case was ultimately resolved through a private out-of-court settlement.
