From Deseret News archives:
New drug wins approval in fight against smoking
When varenicline goes on sale later this year, it will become the first new prescription drug for smoking cessation approved by the Food and Drug Administration in nearly a decade and only the second stop-smoking drug that is nicotine-free, according to Pfizer Inc.
The New York company plans to market the twice-daily tablet, intended for adults only, as Chantix.
"It's a welcome new addition. It's like with cancer or heart disease or high blood pressure or diabetes: The more effective treatments you have, the better off patients are," said Dr. Steven Schroeder, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
Varenicline works in two ways, by cutting the pleasure of smoking and reducing the withdrawal symptoms that lead smokers to light up over and over again.
Most other stop-smoking drugs are various nicotine-replacement therapies, sold by prescription and over the counter in gum, patch, lozenge, nasal spray or inhaler form. In 1997, the FDA approved bupropion, an antidepressant already sold as Wellbutrin but then rebranded as Zyban.
The approved course of Chantix treatment is 12 weeks, a period that can be doubled in patients who successfully quit to increase the likelihood they will remain smoke-free, the FDA said.
Other clinical trials have shown that the drug's effect is more pronounced in the short-term: 44 percent of longtime, pack-a-day smokers quit following a 12-week course of treatment with Chantix, compared with 30 percent of Zyban patients who quit, according to Pfizer. However, smoking cessation experts said the longer-term data are more applicable, given the difficulty of quitting the habit for good. Even Pfizer acknowledged it can take smokers 10 attempts.
"It's not going to be a revolution, it's going to be a substantial step forward," Thomas Glynn, director of cancer science and trends at the American Cancer Society, said of varenicline. Glynn added that the greatest value will be for smokers who have tried Zyban or nicotine-replacement therapy but failed to quit.
Comments
- Jazz: Miles, Kirilenko to play Friday 4:23 a.m.
- Utah Jazz going green with unis 4:17 a.m.
- Celtics stop Spurs 4:15 a.m.
- Utah Jazz gameday 4:14 a.m.
- Harpring's NBA career is over 4:11 a.m.
- Past Mr. Football winners 4:09 a.m.
- Mr. Football 2009: Tuni Kanuch 4:08 a.m.
- Westminster campus briefs 2:50 a.m.
- UVU campus briefs 2:48 a.m.
- SUU campus briefs 2:47 a.m.
- Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
- Mr. Football 2009: Tuni Kanuch
- Aggies shoot past Cougars
- Mitchell said to share LeBaron traits
- Phoenix signs off on LDS temple
- Toddler dies trapped under mattress
- BYU prof a 'Top Global Thinker'
- Harpring's NBA career is over
- Crews to seal Nutty Putty Cave
- Doctor deems Mitchell competent
- Hall reprimanded by MWC
406 - Max Hall issues apology
393 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
361 - Why is Y. ignoring spew of hatred?
287 - Utes won't respond to Hall
278 - BYU says Hall incident resolved
247 - Letters: Liberal because LDS
217 - 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
188 - Aggies shoot past Cougars
175 - Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
159
First, a big thank you to all who posted questions here for me to ask...
I laughed at the names that were given to the snakes, such clever names. I...
I used you to really hope you were always kidding with your political posts....
RE: Anon @ 5:47 There is a BIG difference between freedom of and freedom...
The only ones that are disturbed are the liberal media that hates guns so bad...
Matt it has been awesome to have you here as a player and role model. I hope...
I'm a USU grad, and saw a great shirt about US not you! "DEE GLEN SMITH...
Hey look, Jazz Cop and CL are agreeing with each other on back-to-back...
Hey, the papers are going bankrupt because of their inability to adjust their...
Matt, you will be truly missed. Thanks for showing us what playing with real...
Good job to all the ladies this season. Hard work and determination has it's...



You can be the first to comment on this story.