BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Pfizer Inc. today took another big step towards shedding itself of the
Pfizer and a South Carolina attorney have agreed on final settlement for about 660 Chantix lawsuits, according to a court document filed in federal court in Birmingham this morning.
That group of lawsuits was filed between 2009 and 2012 by people who complained of variety of psychological problems, including suicides or suicide attempts. All federal lawsuits against Pfizer and its Chantix drug nationwide were consolidated in the Northern District of Alabama under U.S. District Court Judge Inge Johnson and at one time numbered about 2,700.
Under an "omnibus stipulation of dismissal with prejudice" filed this morning in federal court in Birmingham, the plaintiffs' claims in the approximately 660 lawsuits are to be dismissed without costs or attorneys' fees to any party.
"We're pleased that we were able to reach a resolution with Pfizer," said Blair Hahn, the Charleston, S.C. attorney for the plaintiffs in the group of 660 lawsuits.
Hahn declined to discuss specifics of the settlements.
On Feb. 28 Pfizer told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it had reached settlements in about 80 percent of the cases and was assuming a loss of $273 million to settle them. It expects to spend another $15 million to settle the remaining cases.
Since then, dozens of individual Chantix lawsuits - including one group of about 50 - have been dismissed as the settlements are finalized. The group of about 660 is the largest single group to come up for dismissal.
In a statement issued today Pfizer said that through June 2013, the company has settled, "or entered into definitive agreements or agreements-in-principle to settle, virtually all of the known Chantix claims in the United States, including actions pending in the MDL (federal multi-district litigation) and in state courts."
"The resolution of these cases reflects a desire by the Company to focus on the needs of patients and prescribers, and return the conversation to how Chantix can help smokers quit."
"Chantix is an important, FDA-approved medication and effective treatment option for adult smokers who want to quit. Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, and the health benefits of quitting smoking are immediate and substantial," according to the statement. "Tobacco use is a major public health issue and the leading cause of premature death in the United States. Each year, more than 443,000 people in the United States die from illnesses related to tobacco use, which is more than 1,200 people a day."
Pfizer stated that Chantix is approved for use in more than 100 countries and prescribed to 18 million patients worldwide, including more than 9 million in the United States.
Updated at 5:15 p.m. July 18, 2013 to include statement from Pfizer