ePillz.com - Chantix – a Novel Medication against Smoking

Chantix – a Novel Medication against Smoking

May 11, 2006 - U.S. Food and Drug Administration -

Chantix, a novel medication against smoking, received the approval of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use in treating patients with nicotine addiction. Chantix (varenicline tartrate) is an absolutely new molecular entity, discovered and developed by Pfizer Inc, which is unique for its ability to ease the withdrawal symptoms and to block the nicotine effect on human organism.

According to the official press-release from FDA, Chantix works in two ways to help those smokers, who wish to quit this bad habit: it provides some nicotine-like effect in order to help people overcome the withdrawal symptoms, and it also prevents the negative impact of nicotine on the human organism.

There were six clinical trials with more than 3500 participants to prove the effectiveness and safety of Chantix. These trials mostly involved chronic smokers, who smoked on average 21 cigarettes a day for about 25 years. According to the data received within these studies, Chantix ensured the successful quitting for 44% of all patients treated with it. The success rate of Chantix is higher in comparison to the rates, provided by placebo and Zyban (the first pill approved to help people quit smoking), which are 18% and 30% consequently.

The recommended dosage of Chantix is 1mg twice a day. The approved duration of the treatment with this novel medication is 12 weeks. All the patients, who succeeded in quitting smoking during the initial course of Chantix treatment, may continue the treatment for another 12 weeks in order to minimize the chances of resuming smoking.

As for the side effects, FDA as well as the manufacturer of Chantix informs that the medication is well-tolerated and its common adverse effects are nausea, headache, vomiting, insomnia, changes in dreaming and in taste perception, constipation and gas.

As it was informed earlier, varenicline tartrate received the FDA priority review status in December, 2005 in view to its possible significance for public health, taking into account that smoking is the major cause of death in the USA for the time being.

Interesting to note that initially Pfizer intended to market its new medication, varenicline tartrate, under the brand name Champix, but later it was changed into Chantix, which is finally approved by the FDA as the new medication to treat smoking addiction.

Finally, it may be worthy to underline that Chantix is the second oral pill approved for treating smoking addiction after Zyban (bupropion), but it is the first medication, designed and developed specifically for treating smoking (bupropion was originally developed as an antidepressant).

Anyway, Chantix opens a new horizon for smokers, who want to quit the dangerous habit, and has all the chances to repeat the success story of other Pfizer’s medications, e.g. Viagra for treating erectile dysfunction, Exubera for diabetes, Lipitor for lowering cholesterol level and many others.

Nick

External resources
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01370.html
http://mediaroom.pfizer.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=57
http://www.chantix.com/