Beatrice Siu and agencies, HK Standard
Two drugs to help smokers kick the habit will continue to be sold in Hong Kong despite claims they may trigger depression or induce suicidal thoughts.
On July 1, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States ordered Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline to highlight the safety warnings on their respective drugs Champix and Zyban.
According to an FDA report published last month, 37 suicides and more than 400 cases of suicidal behavior were linked to the drugs.
Champix is available at 32 smoking- cessation clinics in public hospitals, eight private hospitals and around 200 private clinics and some community pharmacies.
Fewer than 100 patients are currently taking Zyban, though between 700 and 800 have taken it since it went on sale in 2001.
The FDA is calling for an additional study of the drugs to determine the extent of their side effects.
The FDA said patients do not have to stop treatment, but urged medical staff to be vigilant.
A spokeswoman for the Hospital Authority said Champix is a self- financed medicine, but added frontline medical staff will heed FDA warnings.
Pfizer Corporate Affairs director Geraldine Ip Pui-see said depression and suicidal tendencies are among symptoms contained in the drug description.
The active ingredient, varenicline tartrate, is solely for smoking cessation.
There is no concrete proof the drug is directly linked to psychiatric syndromes, and depression may also occur during nicotine withdrawal, Ip said.
Champix was launched in 2007.
Pfizer has applied to the Department of Health to add the warnings of suicidal thoughts to its drug description.
GSK marketing director Rachel Fan Sze-leung said Zyban, which contains the active ingredient bupropion, is also used to treat depression.
Fan said depression is included among the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and there have been reports of suicidal tendencies during treatment.
GSK will not withdraw the sales of its product in Hong Kong.
Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Hong Kong president So Yiu-wah said patients who quit smoking may suffer depression even without taking drugs.
“Nicotine triggers the brain to secrete dopamine, which makes smokers feel happy. So patients may feel depressed after quitting smoking,” So said.
He said hospitals will study any reports of mental illness before prescribing smoke-cessation drugs.
Instructions should also be in Chinese.
Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital corporate communication manager Sharon Lun Wai-ching said the hospital has prescribed Champix and Zyban to patients, but agreed to follow Department of Health instructions.