OBJECTIVES To explore whether varenicline (Chantix) showed more efficacy in treating certain subgroups of patients. In a recent multisite trial, varenicline was shown to be effective in reducing drinking in alcohol-dependent patients, both smokers and nonsmokers. Given the heterogeneity among alcohol-dependent patients, secondary analyses were conducted to determine whether certain subgroups re...

OBJECTIVE To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of varenicline and provide a review of relevant clinical data. DATA SOURCES A MEDLINE search (2001-December 2006) was conducted using the key words varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy for clinical trials limited to human subjects and published in English. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION All available h...

BACKGROUND Varenicline is probably the most effective smoking cessation pharmacotherapy, but is less widely used than nicotine replacement therapy. We therefore set out to identify the characteristics of numerically important groups of patients who typically do, or do not, receive varenicline in the UK. METHODS We used association rule mining to analyse data on prescribing of smoking cessatio...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of varenicline for smoking cessation in Chinese smokers in a real world cessation clinic practice. DESIGN A prospective observational study. SETTING Beijing, China. PARTICIPANTS A total of 924 smokers (883 men and 41 women) who attended a smoking cessation clinic of a large general hospital were assessed with data from structured questionnaires at ...

BACKGROUND Currently available smoking cessation therapies have limited success rates. Varenicline tartrate is a novel, selective nicotinic receptor partial agonist developed specifically for smoking cessation. This study evaluated the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of 3 varenicline doses for smoking cessation. Bupropion hydrochloride was included as an active control. METHODS A phase 2, ...

Evidence regarding the health consequences of smoking is undeniable, yet 21% of the American population continues to smoke. In addition to behavioral modifications, first-line treatment options include nicotine replacement therapies and bupropion SR. Varenicline, which was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), offers a novel mechanism of action for smoking cessation. This...

INTRODUCTION Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and quitting tobacco use should be fundamental for cardiovascular patients. Varenicline is a smoking cessation pharmacological therapy able to improve the possibilities to successfully achieve this result. In 2011 the US Food and Drug Administration issued a safety announcement that varenicline may be as...

OBJECTIVE In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a black box warning for varenicline regarding neuropsychiatric events. The authors used data from randomized controlled trials and from a large Department of Defense (DOD) observational study to assess the efficacy and safety of varenicline. METHOD The authors reanalyzed data from the 17 placebo-controlled randomized controlled t...

BACKGROUND Preclinical and emerging clinical evidence indicates that varenicline, a nicotinic partial agonist approved for smoking cessation, attenuates alcohol seeking and consumption. Reductions of alcohol craving have been observed under varenicline treatment and suggest effects of the medication on alcohol reward processing, but this hypothesis remains untested. METHODS In this double-bli...

BACKGROUND Varenicline is an effective smoking cessation medication. Some concern has been raised that its use may precipitate adverse cardiovascular events although no patho-physiological mechanism potentially underlying such an effect has been reported. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that varenicline impacts on sympatho-vagal balance during smoking withdrawal. METHODS In t...