Trials that Matter: Varenicline: A Designer Drug to Help Smokers Quit
Authors: Steven A. Schroeder, Harold C. Sox
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2006)

Editorials21 November 2006Trials that Matter: Varenicline: A Designer Drug to Help Smokers QuitSteven A. Schroeder, MD and Harold C. Sox, MD, EditorSteven A. Schroeder, MDFrom the University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, and the American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Search for more papers by this author and Harold C. Sox, MD, EditorFrom the University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, and the American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-145-10-200611210-00013 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Two things are very clear to physicians and smokers alike: Smoking is bad for your health, and it is devilishly hard to quit (1, 2). Not surprisingly, therefore, many clinicians are pessimistic, even cynical, about treating smokers. “Why should I spend my limited time on this problem, when I know I am doomed to fail?” Actually, the rejoinders to this view—that smoking rates are at a historic low, that ex-smokers now outnumber current smokers, and that over 70% of smokers want to quit—are compelling. Physicians and smokers should also welcome the news that the FDA has approved a new drug, ...References1. Fiore MC, Bailey WC, Cohen SJ, et al. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: Clinical Practice Guideline. Rockville, Md: Dept of Health and Human Services; 6 2000. Google Scholar2. Schroeder SA. What to do with a patient who smokes. JAMA. 2005;294:482-87. [PMID: 16046655] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Tapper AR, McKinney SL, Nashmi R, Schwarz J, Deshpande P, Labarca C, et al. Nicotine activation of alpha 4* receptors: sufficient for reward, tolerance, and sensitization. Science. 2004;306:1029-32. [PMID: 15528443] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Gonzales D, Rennard SI, Nides M, Oncken C, Azoulay S, Billing CB, et al. Varenicline, an alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist, vs sustained-release bupropion and placebo for smoking cessation: a randomized, controlled trial. JAMA. 2006;296:47-55. [PMID: 16820546] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Jorenby DE, Hays JT, Rigotti NA, Azoulay S, Watsky EJ, Williams KE, et al. Efficacy of varenicline, an alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist, vs placebo or sustained-release bupropion for smoking cessation: a randomized, controlled trial. JAMA. 2006;296:56-63. [PMID: 16820547] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Tonstad S, Tonnesen P, Hajek P, Williams KE, Billing CB, Reeves KR. Effect of maintenance therapy with varenicline on smoking cessation: a randomized, controlled trial. JAMA. 2006;296:64-71. [PMID: 16820548] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Hays JT, Hurt RD, Rigotti NA, et al. Sustained-release bupropion for pharmacologic relapse prevention after smoking cessation. Ann Intern Med. 2001;135:423-433. [PMID: 11560455] LinkGoogle Scholar8. Hurt RD, Krook JE, Croghan IT, et al. Nicotine patch therapy based on smoking rate followed by bupropion for prevention of relapse to smoking. J Clin Oncol. 2003;21:914-20. [PMID: 12610193] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From the University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, and the American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Disclosures: None disclosed.Corresponding Author: Steven A. Schroeder, MD, Box 1211, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-1211; e-mail, [email protected]ucsf.edu.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Schroeder: Box 1211, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-1211.Dr. Sox: American College of Physicians, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByPharmaceutical Product Development and Liability With Chantix ® : A Teaching CaseCNS DrugsBehavioral Counseling and Varenicline Treatment for Smoking CessationMoving Forward in Smoking Cessation: Issues for Psychiatric NursesHelping Smokers Quit: Understanding the Barriers to Utilization of Smoking Cessation ServicesCardiovascular and Other Noninfectious Complications after Renal Transplantation in AdultsClinical trials reportWe Can Do Better — Improving the Health of the American PeopleRecent developments for smoking cessation and treatment of nicotine dependencePartielle Agonisten nikotinerger Acetylcholin-Rezeptoren zur Rauchentwöhnung — ein Update 21 November 2006Volume 145, Issue 10Page: 784-785KeywordsBrainCarbon monoxideDopamineDrugsIon channelsNicotineNicotine replacement therapyWeight gain ePublished: 21 November 2006 Issue Published: 21 November 2006 CopyrightCopyright © 2006 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...