Pfizer in Chantix recall

Pfizer is recalling 12 lots of its popular anti-smoking drug Chantix after the company discovered the products contain high levels of a chemical that may cause cancer.

The voluntary move expands on a recall that covered nine lots of Chantix, which goes by the generic name varenicline, and was issued to warehouses earlier this month.

Pfizer said it found N-nitroso-varenicline, which is a type of organic compound called a nitrosamine, in the product at levels higher than the company’s so-called acceptable intake limit.

Nitrosamines can develop naturally in a broad range of items, including meats, cheeses and cosmetics. The FDA has warned that long-term exposure to high levels of nitrosamines can increase the risk of cancer. Pfizer said it shipped the products throughout the US and Puerto Rico between June 2019 and June 2021.