Chantix Gains Approval from UK Body NICE

Chantix, a prescription only pill designed to help people quit smoking, has received a draft approval for use on the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. Chantix, which is marketed in the UK under the name Champix, is the first non-nicotine based smoking cessation drug to be recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). The news on Chantix provides hope for those in England and Wales who are serious about quitting smoking.

“Chantix makes giving up easier than ever”

Chantix has been recommended by the UK body NICE after drug trials showed it to be highly effective in helping smokers quit. During a 12 week trial Chantix helped 44 percent of participants quit smoking, compared to just 18 percent of those using will power alone.

In an announcement today, a NICE spokesperson confirmed that Chantix was “superior to nicotine replacement therapy in achieving continuous abstinence” and that its use was “likely to be a cost effective use of National Health Service resources”. The draft guidance published today stated that the Chantix course should be provided with support and counseling and given to only those who are serious about quitting smoking.

What makes Chantix so effective?

Chantix is more effective than any other smoking cessation drug due to the way that it works. Unlike other smoking cessation drugs that replace the nicotine, Chantix works by stimulating the receptors in the brain that respond to nicotine intake. This helps to relieve the cravings experienced by those who try to quit smoking using will power alone.

Chantix is different from other anti-smoking drugs as it also helps smokers give up by preventing any nicotine inhaled from acting on these receptors, removing the enjoyable and rewarding effect usually experienced. So for those who give into the temptation and do have a cigarette, they’ll find that it doesn’t provide the stimulating effects that it once used to.

In the clinical trials by Pfizer Inc, Chantix outperformed not only those taking the Placebo pill, but also those taking a rival anti-smoking drug, Zyban. The success rate for Zyban over the 12 week period totaled 30 percent, compared to 44 percent for those using Champix.

The medication was given approval for marketing in Europe in September 2006, after it was approved as an aid to quit smoking by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) for the United States in May 2006. The active ingredient in Chantix, varenicline tartrate, was warmly welcomed by the FDA due to its significant potential in benefiting public health. The world Health Organization estimates the annual worldwide cost of smoking related illness to be approximately US $500 billion.