Chantix
I was reading an article in the Dec 10 issue of Forbes on the bus coming into work. The article was titled "Tobacco-Free" and related mainly to the recent introduction of Pfizer's drug Chantix into the anti-smoking drug arena.
The article is rather interesting and begins its focus with the inventor, Jothan Coe, and his history with both smoking and chemical solutions to smoking. Apparently the scientist smoked heavily until quitting at 25, when he was a grad student at MIT.
I've never smoked but I work with several people who do--and two of those have tried Chantix without success--and it certainly seems a hard habit to break. The two people in question ran DNA microarrays 2 years ago on smokers versus nonsmokers (from a pool of stent patients) and the results were so dramatic that they both spontaneously quit smoking that very day. The number of genes that were changed by smoking was shocking. Yet the nicotine urge is so strong both took up smoking again within a few weeks--despite the dramatic scientific results showing just how much smoking damage was occurring on a genetic level.
Despite the negative example of my two coworkers, apparently Chanix is a lot more effective than anything else on the market. According to the article in Forbes 45% of the people who take Chantix remain off tobacco after 12 weeks. That compares to 30% of Zyban users. Of course when you go out longer, say 6 months, the numbers for both drugs fall quite a bit. One study had Zyban at only 5% and Chantix at 20%.
But even with low numbers like that Chantix, in the year that it's been out, has grossed over $800 million with an anticipated $1.2 billion in annual sales in the near future. At this point, over 4 million people have taken a $350 3-month course that uses Chantix to quit smoking.
According to the article the basis of the drug is cytisine, a toxic chemical found in coffee trees and a Chinese shrub. Cytisine was identified as having anti-nicotine properties back in 1995 however the chemical was too expensive for development. It cost $1.7 million to process a kilogram (2.2 pounds). Eventually Coe was able to synthesize a bioactive drug, varenicline tartrate, using morphine as a base that would do the same job as cytisine. If nothing else, it looks to be a big financial winner for Pfizer.
The article is rather interesting and begins its focus with the inventor, Jothan Coe, and his history with both smoking and chemical solutions to smoking. Apparently the scientist smoked heavily until quitting at 25, when he was a grad student at MIT.
I've never smoked but I work with several people who do--and two of those have tried Chantix without success--and it certainly seems a hard habit to break. The two people in question ran DNA microarrays 2 years ago on smokers versus nonsmokers (from a pool of stent patients) and the results were so dramatic that they both spontaneously quit smoking that very day. The number of genes that were changed by smoking was shocking. Yet the nicotine urge is so strong both took up smoking again within a few weeks--despite the dramatic scientific results showing just how much smoking damage was occurring on a genetic level.
Despite the negative example of my two coworkers, apparently Chanix is a lot more effective than anything else on the market. According to the article in Forbes 45% of the people who take Chantix remain off tobacco after 12 weeks. That compares to 30% of Zyban users. Of course when you go out longer, say 6 months, the numbers for both drugs fall quite a bit. One study had Zyban at only 5% and Chantix at 20%.But even with low numbers like that Chantix, in the year that it's been out, has grossed over $800 million with an anticipated $1.2 billion in annual sales in the near future. At this point, over 4 million people have taken a $350 3-month course that uses Chantix to quit smoking.
According to the article the basis of the drug is cytisine, a toxic chemical found in coffee trees and a Chinese shrub. Cytisine was identified as having anti-nicotine properties back in 1995 however the chemical was too expensive for development. It cost $1.7 million to process a kilogram (2.2 pounds). Eventually Coe was able to synthesize a bioactive drug, varenicline tartrate, using morphine as a base that would do the same job as cytisine. If nothing else, it looks to be a big financial winner for Pfizer.
Comments
Michele sent me by the way...it's interesting here --glad I stopped by.
[dusts off ticker]
I am so proud of my 1yr, 1mth and 15days.
Every day has hurt, every day has held cravings - even now.
Smoking isn't a habit, it's a curse...
cq
I imagine that if you can tolerate the drug that success is as high as any other method. I read somewhere that most long time smokers seriously quit an average of 4 times before they remain smoke-free for at least a year. I don't believe there is an easy fix -- it's not an easy thing
Smoking's a complex issue because the ritual of it encompasses so many things -- hands, mouth, lungs... I've never smoked (long story) but for the people who even TRY to quit... my hat's off to them. I know how hard it is to stop snacking all day. I'd imagine smoking is worse.
To this day, I sometimes imagine knocking a smoker unconscious and stealing their cigarettes.
Two of my co-workers have quit smoking within the past month, with the aid of this medication. My understanding is that for FIVE DAYS, the smoker takes the medication and keeps smoking. I assume it's to allow time for the medicine to get into your system?
One co-worker has been smoke free for six weeks. The other has been smoke free for less than 36 hours. Only time will tell if this works for them!
It was the hardest thing I have ever done, including having babies, and it is the thing I am proudest of being able to do.
I never quite understand what these drugs are supposed to do to help you stop smoking....! When I quit, there were no drugs back then....And it was very very hard...I am grateful I have NEVER gone back and have been smoke-free for over 37 years....!
This drug sounds a biy scary based in some kind of Morphine thingy...I would wonder about this drug....!
Cold Turkey is really tough, but if one can do it, it seems to be more lasting....!
I really HATE the Drug Company's.....they make a buck wether it works or not, don't they?
I started smoking at 13 and when I quit at 28 I was a chain smoker of 2-3 packs a day
I just quit
but have been tempted because my weight I tried smoking again after quitting for 7 years and black didnt have the taste for it anymore
On the drug end of things, now that I'm working with brokerage trades, I think I'll look into Phizer....
I had a lung volume test (spyrometry) after a year of abstinence, to check for the first sign of illness. I got 93% lung capacity - more than a lot of non-smokers, my doctor said.
I like that Michele sends me here to see you :-)
cq
michele sent me
She is one success story...
It also has a slight anti-depreessant effect, which is good for folks who smoke, because the nicotnic receptr gets all blocked up and they don't crave yet aren't too miserable about it.
I even have a coffee cup with the compound number on it. One of my proudest moments was when that thing got approved.