Chantix in JAMA
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Pfizer's prescription therapy Chantix (varenicline) was "significantly more efficacious" for smoking cessation after 12- and 24-week periods than GlaxoSmithKline's Zyban (bupropion SR), according to a study published in the July 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. David Gonzales, PhD, Oregon Health & Science University, et al., randomized 1,025 healthy smokers 18 to 75 years old, with fewer than three months smoking abstinence. The groups were treated with one of the two drugs or placebo and took exhaled carbon monoxide tests to confirm abstinence. For weeks 9-12, 44% of the Chantix group stayed abstinent compared to 17.7% for the placebo group and 29.5% for the Zyban group. Chantix received approval in May (1"The Tan Sheet" May 15, 2005, In Brief)...