Varenicline: A Novel Drug for Smoking Cessation

Abstract

Tobacco smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death. Management of tobacco smoking is comprehensive and multifaceted involving both non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions. Various smoking cessation pharmacotherapies are currently available but are only modestly effective. Long-term abstinence rates with available therapies are typically 25–35%. Therefore new and effective aids are required. Varenicline is a novel drug acting as selective nicotinic receptor partial agonist. Several randomized, double blind clinical trials have demonstrated higher smoking cessation rates with varenicline compared to bupropion—an established anti-smoking agent. Relapse prevention effect has also been demonstrated in one of these studies. Overall, varenicline has good safety profile, the most common side effects being nausea (28%) and insomnia (21%). The novel mechanism of action, better efficacy and excellent tolerability make varenicline a promising therapeutic option for clinicians and smokers.