FDA Approves Chantix For Smoking Cessation

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Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 11 May 2006 - 10:00 PDT

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The FDA has approved Chantix (varenicline tartrate) tablets for the treatment of smoking cessation - to help smokers give up. Varenicline tartrate, the new active ingredient, is a new type of molecule that received priority FDA review.

Chantix, which works on specific parts of the brain, helps people give up smoking in two ways:

-- It provides some satisfaction that nicotine gives, hence lessening withdrawal symptoms

-- It blocks the nicotine from entering relevant parts of the brain, thus eliminating the reward a smoker feels when he/she smokes (only happens while patient is taking the tablets)

The FDA says smoking is the most preventable cause of death in America. Not only is it the cause of a long list of cancers, but it is also the cause of heart and lung diseases. The agency says it is committed to helping smokers find effective ways of giving up.

Of the 44.5 million adult smokers in the USA, 8.6 million have a serious illness caused by smoking (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CDC).

Dr. Steven Galson, Director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, says nicotine addiction makes it very hard for smokers to give up. He says Chantix is a proven and effective treatment for smokers who want to quit.

Six clinical trials, involving 3659 smokers, all of whom had been smoking more than 20 a day for about 25 years, showed Chantix treatment to be significantly superior to placebo treatment in helping smokers give up.

Two of those trials also revealed that Chantix is better at helping smokers give up than Zyban (bupropion).

A typical course of Chantix treatment lasts 12 weeks. Patients may continue for a further twelve weeks if they so wish.

Side effects included:

-- Nausea
-- Headache
-- Vomiting
-- Flatulence (farting)
-- Insomnia (problems in falling asleep)
-- Abnormal dreams
-- Dysgeusia (things taste different)

Chantix is made and sold by Pfizer, Inc.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today


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