A controversial anti-smoking drug linked to depression and a recent rash of suicides is widely available over the counter in pharmacies in the UAE.
At least 24 people have died in the UK after taking Champix, nearly half of whom committed suicide, according to UK-based Medicines and Healthcare products Regulator Agency (MHRA).
Following the reports, the MHRA has placed the nicotine replacement drug "under intensive surveillance", adding that the number of Champix users who suffered side effects has doubled to around 3,500 over the past seven months.
U.S. Worried
US health authorities are also investigating the link between the pills – called Chantix there – and fatal results. Pilots and air traffic controllers in America have been banned from taking the tablets until further notice.
The UAE, meanwhile, became the first country in the region to approve Champix last year, and sales have continued unabated ever since. The medication, known as Varenicline, costs around Dh450, and comes in batches of 56 pills, with a dosage of one milligram each.
Two pharmacists in Jumeirah confirmed that the drug is sold without a doctor's prescription.
"The approval of Champix is important because it treats nicotine addiction in a novel and effective way. Many people feel they want to quit, or are told by their doctors that they have to quit, and this new non-nicotine treatment is specifically designed to help people stop smoking," said Dr Bassam Mahboub, Head of the National Smoking Cessation Committee, shortly after the local launch of the product.
Champix, made by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, apparently helps smokers kick the habit by putting a damper on the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting.
