Pfizer’s Anti-Smoking Drug Approved

Pfizer received approval from the FDA for its anti-smoking pill, Chantix. The drug had received priority review designation by the FDA and is the first new prescription medication approved for smoking cessation in nearly a decade.

Addiction to nicotine occurs when nicotine reaches the brain within seconds after inhaling and binds to nicotinic receptors, activating the reward pathway in brain circuitry. This stimulates the pleasure center in the brain. The initial effects recede quickly and a cycle of craving and withdrawal takes hold.

Chantix is specifically designed to partially activate the nicotinic receptor and reduce the severity of the smoker’s craving and the withdrawal symptoms from nicotine. Also, if a person smokes a cigarette while receiving treatment, Chantix has the potential to diminish the sense of satisfaction associated with smoking. This may help to prevent the cycle of nicotine addiction.

The approval was based on a trial program involving more than 2,000 cigarette smokers. In two identically designed studies, patients receiving a 12-week course of Chantix therapy nearly quadrupled the likelihood of quitting than those taking placebo. After one year, approximately one-in-five patients who received the 12-week course of Chantix remained smoke-free. For those patients who quit at the end of 12 weeks, an additional course of 12 weeks treatment with Chantix resulted in a greater likelihood of long-term success in quitting smoking.