BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Relative effectiveness of smoking cessation medications-varenicline, bupropion and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)-remains unclear among smokers in real-world settings. Evidence in females and smokers with light/moderate nicotine dependence is particularly insufficient. This study compared the effectiveness of varenicline, bupropion or NRT gum relative to NRT patch, ...

Varenicline is a low-efficacy, α4β2* subtype-selective nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist that has shown success in smoking cessation and promise in preclinical assessments relating to other drugs of abuse. The primary goal of the present study was to examine the effects of varenicline on cocaine self-administration and cocaine discrimination and compare these effects with those o...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate varenicline's efficacy for smoking cessation versus bupropion SR and placebo and to explore whether factors typically predictive of abstinence influence varenicline's efficacy versus placebo, as measured by the week 9-12 continuous abstinence rate (CAR9-12). METHODS Smokers in 2 randomized, placebo-controlled trials received varenicline 1 mg BID (n=696), bupropion SR 15...

To better understand smoking cessation, we examined the actions of varenicline (Chantix) during long-term nicotine exposure. Varenicline reduced nicotine upregulation of α4β2-type nicotinic receptors (α4β2Rs) in live cells and neurons, but not for membrane preparations. Effects on upregulation depended on intracellular pH homeostasis and were not observed if acidic pH in intracellular compartme...

IMPORTANCE Combining pharmacotherapies for tobacco-dependence treatment may increase smoking abstinence. OBJECTIVE To determine efficacy and safety of varenicline and bupropion sustained-release (SR; combination therapy) compared with varenicline (monotherapy) in cigarette smokers. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial with a 12...

This study assessed counselors' knowledge of the adoption of evidence-based tobacco cessation medications (TCMs)--varenicline, bupropion, and five nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs)--and predictors of adoption in diverse substance abuse treatment settings. We used Managing Effective Relationships in Treatment Services (MERITS I) data from 658 counselors working in 26 programs. Adoption of va...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study was to evaluate the efficacy of varenicline (Chantix), a partial agonist at α4β2 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors used for smoking cessation, in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) 3. METHODS Patients with genetically confirmed SCA3 were randomly assigned to receive either varenicline (4 weeks ...

BACKGROUND Varenicline carries a black box warning for neuropsychiatric adverse events. OBJECTIVE We examined varenicline use and past history of major depressive disorder (MDD) on depressive symptoms during smoking cessation. METHOD This is a secondary analysis of two smoking cessation studies in 152 postmenopausal women who received placebo or nicotine patch, or 78 women who received vare...

AIMS/INTRODUCTION Stopping smoking deserves high priority in preventing complications of diabetes; however, only sparse data are available regarding the efficacy of pharmacotherapy in smokers with diabetes. We assessed the efficacy and safety of varenicline in smokers with diabetes who participated in 15 double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospe...

BACKGROUND Varenicline is now very useful medication for cessation; however, there is only little result of researches with varenicline for cessation of hospitalized patients. This research attempted to analyze the cessation effect of medication and compliance of hospitalized patients. METHODS This research included data for 52 patients who were prescribed varenicline among 280 patients who w...