Pfizer comes out with new drug for smoking cessation

July 5, 2006

I’ve been waiting for a while for varenicline (Chantix). This will be one medication that I’ll be happy to shill for Pfizer.

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{ 6 comments }

1 Anonymous July 5, 2006 at 1:36 pm: Why? It doesn’t sound all that promising to me.

“There are some important gastrointestinal side effects and, in the current studies, most people given the drug actually did not quit smoking,”
2 Diora July 5, 2006 at 6:31 pm: Most people I know who successfully quit smoking just stopped cold turkey. Mind you, I realize that it is anecdotal – I do not know enough people, only about four or five. One woman who used hypnosis – her husband insisted that before they have a baby she had to quit smoking – but the rest just decided to stop. One guy had a sore throat for about a month and it was so bad he told he couldn’t even look at a sigarette. After that he told himself “if I could do without smoking for a month, surely I can just do without it”.
On the other hand, one woman who tried to do it gradually is still smoking. When someone mentions stopping she says “well, I guess I don’t want to stop bad enough”.

Don’t know much about the drug, but unless people really want to quit, nothing would help.
3 RJS July 5, 2006 at 10:10 pm: Before you go prescribing willy-nilly make sure it’s covered by the major insurers, otherwise you’re wasting

1) your time
2) the patient’s time and
3) the pharmacy’s time

A voucher for a free month (or whatever promotion Pfizer will run) doesn’t count.
4 Anonymous August 29, 2006 at 3:52 pm: Doc, I’ve written a varenicline / chantix reivew that’s rather critical of Pfizer’s five new studies. This is the link: http://whyquit.com/pr/082506.html

I’d appreciate any feedback. Thanks,

John R. Polito
Nicotine Cessation Educator
5 Tom February 18, 2007 at 12:53 pm: Chantix is awesome. I took it for 30 days total and quit smoking after 10 days. I only had minor urges and have remained smoke free. We’ll be hearing alot of good news as more people have success with it.
6 Anonymous October 1, 2007 at 2:56 pm: I am a R.Ph.T. & out of the 100+ Rx’s we have filled for our customers (for Chantix) about 99% have succesfully quit. We have had customers that had smoked for 30 – 40+ years & were able to stop smoking even before the end of the 12 week program. I say YaY to Chantix! (And NO it is NOT a waste of the pharmacy’s time if a patients insurance doesn’t pay for the med….8 out of 10 times the patient will pay out-of-pocket)