Smokers in the UK Should Now Have Access to Champix
NEW YORK, May 30 /CNW/ - Pfizer Inc announced today that the National
Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom has
recommended Champix (varenicline) for use on the National Health Service for
adult smokers who have expressed a desire to quit. This gives smokers across
England, Wales and Northern Ireland access to another important treatment
option to help them quit smoking.
In its Final Appraisal Determination, NICE concluded that varenicline was
"superior to NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) and bupropion in achieving
continuous abstinence" and that its use in smoking cessation was "likely to be
a cost-effective use of National Health Service resources."
"This guidance means that smokers who are serious about stopping have
another choice from a good range of clinically proven treatments, said
Professor Robert West, Professor of Health Psychology at University College
London. "Smokers who combine treatments with the right support - for instance
from smoking cessation services - could significantly increase their odds of
successfully quitting for life."
Champix is the first new prescription aid to smoking cessation treatment
in nearly a decade. Pfizer discovered and developed Champix specifically as an
aid to smoking cessation through its unique mechanism of action targeting the
specific receptor to which nicotine binds. Champix is believed to work by
reducing the severity of the smoker's urge to smoke.
"This guidance in the U.K. recognizes the efficacy and cost-effectiveness
of Champix, and encourages physicians and smokers to consider this treatment
as a new treatment option to help smokers quit smoking," said Jack Watters,
MD, Pfizer's Vice President of International Medical Affairs. "The
implications of this ruling are particularly timely as they come just before
World No Tobacco Day, when organizations and governments around the world will
work to implement smoke-free policies, which may further encourage smokers to
make a quit attempt."
Smoking, the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, is responsible
for five million deaths worldwide each year. By 2010, the World Health
Organization estimates the annual global cost of tobacco-related illness to be
approximately US$500 billion.
The medication, varenicline, with trade name Chantix (varenicline) in the
United States, received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval as an aid
to smoking cessation in May 2006. In the European Union, Champix received
marketing authorization in September 2006 for use as a smoking cessation aid.
For a patient prescribed Champix or Chantix, Pfizer also offers behavioral
support, a personalized online interactive program to help smokers quit, at no
extra cost. In clinical trials, varenicline was generally well tolerated with
overall discontinuation rates similar to placebo. The most frequent side
effects included nausea, headache, trouble sleeping and changes in dreaming.
US patients and health care providers can visit www.chantix.com or call
1-877-CHANTIX and register to receive more information about Chantix. For
prescribing information, please visit www.chantix.com.
For further information: Pfizer Inc Jack Cox, (212) 733-5017 or Oliver
Stohlmann, +43 1 52115 337
