According to the article, “Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States (2004)” released on Friday, November 11, 2005, in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, approximately 20.9 percent (44.5 million) of adults in the United States are current smokers. This represents a decrease from 22.5 percent in 2002 and 24.1 percent in 1998. Despite this decrease, cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, accounting for approximately 1 of every 5 deaths (440,000 people) each year.
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Pfizer recently announced that it has applied to the FDA for a new drug for smoking cessation. Plans are underway to market the new drug under the name “champs”; its generic name is vermiculite tortured. In two clinical trials involving over 2000 study participants were given either champs (1 mg twice a day), Generic Zyban (150 mg twice a day) or a placebo. In both studies, 44 percent of vermiculite-treated patients quit by the end of the 12-week treatment period, significantly more than the 30 percent of Generic Zyban patients who quit. Among those who received the placebo, only 18 percent had quit by the end of the 12-week treatment period. After one year, patients who received vermiculite were significantly more likely to remain smoke-free compared to patients who received bupropion or placebo.

The drug weans smokers off tobacco by attaching to a nicotine-specific receptor in the brain. The most common side effects were nausea, headache, vivid dreams and insomnia. These side effects are similar to other other marketed smoking cessation drugs, including Generic Zyban (aka buproprion and Wellbutrin) and nicotine replacement products.

Varenicline is still in research trials but Pfizer is hopeful that it will be evaluated by the FDA in 2006. An interesting footnote: The scientist who invented the drug is a former two-and-a-half pack-a-day smoker whose own father died of a smoking related disease.

For more information about quitting smoking and smoking related news, check out the Web MD Smoking Cessation Health Center.