Pfizer Chantix Contamination Lawsuits Gathered in N.Y. Court (1)

Pfizer Inc. will face a single proceeding in a Manhattan courtroom, combining suits alleging its recalled Chantix smoking cessation drug was rendered worthless because it was contaminated with a substance that’s likely carcinogenic.

Consolidating the proposed class suits will make the proceedings more efficient and will prevent inconsistent rulings, the US Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation said Thursday.

Monmouth County, N.J., which paid for its insureds’ medication, asked the panel in August to combine the litigation in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey for pretrial proceedings. Eight suits were pending when the petition was filed and ...