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June 4, 2007:
Thinking of kicking the butt? Pfizer is here to
help you.
The pharma major has said that the National
Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
(NICE) in the United Kingdom has recommended
Champix (varenicline) for use in the National
Health Service for adult smokers who have
expressed a desire to quit.
NICE has said that that varenicline is superior to
nicotine replacement therapy and bupropion in
achieving "continuous abstinence” and that its use
in smoking cessation is likely to be a
cost-effective use of National Health Service
resources. The NICE recommendation has given
smokers across England, Wales, and Northern
Ireland access to another important treatment
option to help them quit smoking.
A report said that smokers who are serious about
stopping have another choice from a good range of
clinically proven treatment now. Smokers who
combine treatments with the right support could
successfully quit for life, it added.
According to the report, Champix is the first new
prescription aid to smoking cessation treatment in
nearly a decade. Pfizer discovered and developed
Champix specifically as an aid to smoking
cessation through its unique mechanism of action
targeting the specific receptor to which nicotine
binds. Champix is believed to work by reducing the
severity of the smoker’s urge to smoke.
The NICE recommendation recognizes the efficacy
and cost-effectiveness of Champix, and encourages
physicians and smokers to consider this treatment
as a new treatment option to help smokers quit,
said experts.
It has been estimated that smoking, the leading
cause of preventable death worldwide, is
responsible for five million deaths worldwide each
year. By 2010, the World Health Organization
estimates the annual global cost of
tobacco-related illness to be approximately US$500
billion.
Chantix (varenicline) had received US Food and
Drug Administration approval as an aid to smoking
cessation in May 2006. In the European Union,
Champix received marketing authorization in
September 2006 for use as a smoking cessation aid.
For a patient prescribed Champix or Chantix,
Pfizer also offers behavioral support, a
personalized online interactive program to help
smokers quit, at no extra cost, added the report.
BY OUR PHARMA CORRESPONDENT
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