UPDATED: FDA to investigate Chantix anti-smoking drug that Dallas musician Carter Albrecht took

Updated 11:30 a.m., December 14, 2007

by PegNews wire

The FDA announced that it will begin collecting information about anti-smoking drug Chantix after having received reports of mood disorders and erratic behavior among patients taking it.

Chantix is the drug that Dallas musician Carter Albrecht was taking when he was shot and killed September 3. Investigators were unable to test for Chantix; an autopsy report showed he had a blood alcohol level of 0.29 when he died. But his death spurred the FDA to dig deeper, requesting that manufacturer Pfizer provide reports of any incidents "similar to the events that occurred with Mr. Albrecht."

UPDATE: Some of the more extreme reactions to Chantix also include suicidal tendencies. Most recently, television editor Omer Jama slashed his wrists while taking the drug and the number of people in the U.K. taking the British counterpart, Champix, who reported having suicidal thoughts doubled in the last two months.