Facts About the New Stop Smoking Drug

By Patsy Hamilton

Here are the facts about the new stop smoking drug developed by Pfizer and approved by the FDA in May 2006. You may have seen advertisements for the new stop smoking pill, sold under the brand name “Chantix”. The ads suggest that you should “ask your doctor” if Chantix is right for you. We thought you might like to know a little about the drug before you “ask” for a prescription.

Varenicline would be the generic name for the new stop smoking drug. But, until Pfizer’s patent expires, it will not be available in generic form, meaning you will have to pay the higher price. Varenicline is derived from a toxic compound known as cytisine.

Cytisine is found in many plants, including the mescal bean, and there was some preliminary research suggesting that it might be effective for smoking cessation. Before they introduced their new stop smoking pill, Pfizer looked at many compounds similar to cytisine.

Drug companies cannot patent naturally occurring compounds like cytisine, so they have to come up with “derivatives”, something they can produce synthetically in the lab. So, the new stop smoking pill does not contain cytisine, the naturally occurring compound. It contains varenicline, the synthetic compound patented by Pfizer.

It is interesting to note that the only common use for plants containing cytisine is to induce a recreational “high”. Along with mild intoxication and heightened awareness of color, users have experienced nausea, vomiting, convulsions, heart pain and headache. Large doses have caused death due to respiratory failure

On a cellular level, compounds like cytisine partially block the body’s response to nicotine. The active compound in Zyban, the new stop smoking drug in 1997, does the same thing. Both Zyban
and Chantix are supposed to reduce the pleasurable sensations that nicotine causes in the body and thus reduce a person’s desire to smoke.

Neither of the drugs are “magic pills”. They work best when combined with counseling, a “quit plan” and a support program.

Of course Pfizer thinks their new stop smoking pill is better than Zyban. They advertise that two separate studies showed that Chantix helped more people quit than Zyban. They neglect to mention that there were three other studies that concluded that the drugs were about the same.
A study published in June of 2007 indicates that counseling and support programs are just as effective as the new stop smoking drug or any other therapy. The researchers went on to say that counseling is the “sole approach without any adverse effects”. Smoking has enough “adverse” effects on our health and the health of those close to us.

Most people want to quit. They try one of the drugs or nicotine replacement. They get nauseas and throw up. They have headaches, trouble sleeping and bad dreams. They get constipated. They get frustrated and they start smoking again.

They may think that all of those side effects were from nicotine withdrawal, when in fact, those are the side effects of the new stop smoking pill and nicotine replacement therapies, like the patch. Zyban can make your mouth dry. It can cause you to shake and sweat and make your ears to ring. The most controversial side effect of Zyban is an increased risk of seizures. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms are relatively mild, in comparison, and usually only last a few days.

Whether you choose to try the new stop smoking drug or one of the other plans that are available, the most important thing is that you make a plan to quit and stick to it. To learn more about your options, please visit the Stop Smoking Blog, a resource for those who want to quit, written by those who have.

Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a health writer. Currently she is writing a series of articles about options for people who want to quit smoking. Read more at http://stop-smoking-blog.com