Pfizer's Chantix Woes Bash High Hopes

For its part, Pfizer continues to express total confidence in Chantix. With problems escalating at home, however, the company now likes to tout Chantix as a "global" opportunity that offers a winning solution for everyone involved.

"From a global perspective, the U.S. is really just the tip of the iceberg," the company insisted a few months ago. "We believe Chantix will have a major role in addressing the smoking epidemic -- worldwide -- and we will continue to expand our partnerships with organizations dedicated to reducing the terrible toll of smoking in society."