Health and Healthcare
Does Big Tobacco Actually Love Pfizer's Anti-Smoking 'Chantix' Pill? (MO, RAI, PFE)
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Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) is seeing additional pressure this afternoon. Apparently the FDA said it is looking into reports that Pfizer has sent out an "early communications notice" to doctors warning them to monitor patients using the popular "stop smoking" pill called Chantix with the note that it might trigger erratic behavior or possibly suicidal thoughts in some users. The FDA has also noted that Chantix users should also be cautious whendriving or operating autos and machinery, as the drug has reportedlycaused some incidents of drowsiness.
If you know an ex-smoker, you’d swear up and down that some of them were suicidal when they tried to quit before this drug ever came out. This may be after that musician in Dallas was shot to death following him having an ‘altercation’ with his girlfriend before he ran out and pounding on a door in the middle of the night, so in all honesty this one might have been seen ahead. Here is the official communication:
There is always a silver lining somewhere for someone. If you are Altria (NYSE:MO) or Reynolds American (NYSE:RAI), then you probably just got a little more pep in your step. Imagine a doctor saying, "I’d rather see you keep smoking and die one breath at a time rather than get suicidal." Did that really happen that ANY physician said that? Probably not. But that is how a trader might view this.
Altria (NYSE:MO) is currently under review for the 24/7 Wall St. Special Situation Investing Newsletter.
Jon C. Ogg
November 20, 2007
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