Every two years, the World Health Organization (WHO) updates its Model List of Essential Medicines (EML), a collection of medicines considered essential by WHO experts.
The latest update included the two controversial smoking cessation drugs, Bupropion and Varenicline.
The purpose of the list is guiding national authorities on the type of medicines that should be available in their countries. On October 1st 2021, the WHO published the updated list containing the infamous drugs.
Chantix
Varenciline, which goes by the trade name of Chantix, is an anti-smoking drug renowned for getting smokers over any cigarette cravings. Whilst considered significantly effective, it is also known to cause moderate to severe psychological side effects, from horrifying nightmares to suicidal thoughts.
After numerous reports about such disturbances, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had placed the most severe warning available on the medication, which led to Chantix’s sales dropping from $846 million in 2008, to $671 million last year.
To compensate for this drop, its manufacturer, Pfizer, had invested heavily in advertising and settling lawsuits against the drug. Moreover, the Pharma company had released data retrieved from a study which allegedly proved that there is no direct link between the consumption of Chantix and experiencing psychological disturbances.
Diane Caruana – VapingPost – 2021-12-23.
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