The Guardian
London, UK
24 January, 2007
Anti-smoking drug triples success
An anti-smoking drug launched in Britain last month improves the odds of people quitting threefold, according to a comprehensive survey of trials.
Scientists at Oxford who pronounce on the effectiveness of new medical treatments by analysing published clinical data, found that varenicline, marketed by Pfizer under the name Champix, reduced smokers' cravings and boosted their chances of giving up over a 12-month period.
The £1.95-a-day (US$3.80) drug is the first new anti-smoking drug to be launched in 10 years. It works by stimulating the same brain receptors as nicotine. By doing so, it triggers the release of the feel-good hormone dopamine and partially blocks the action of nicotine, making smoking less satisfying.
Oxford University's Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Review pooled data from six trials involving 2,451 people given varenicline and 2,473 volunteers given placebos. People taking the drug were three times more likely to give up, and 1½ times more likely to quit than those given bupropion, or Zyban, an antidepressant prescribed to smokers.
Kate Cahill, author of the study, said: "This is not a magic bullet, but it is an interesting drug because it mimics nicotine in the brain, which keeps withdrawal at bay, but also blocks the receptors, so if you smoke while taking it you won't experience the same satisfaction and pleasure."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/...1997315,00.html