Varenicline

• The same goes for addiction treatments, so it’s worrying that two of the most effective drugs for quitting smoking aren’t available in the UK.
• It’s one of the most effective ways to help people quit smoking, and, until recently, it was only made by one pharmaceutical company: Pfizer.
• The resulting global shortage is a huge blow to tobacco control efforts and for anyone looking to quit smoking.
• An updated systematic review combining evidence on varenicline and cytisine for smoking cessation includes the latest studies in its analysis.

Effective way to quit

• The review concluded that cytisine is an effective way to help people quit smoking compared with a placebo, helping 20 people to quit for every 100 given it (compared with 15 quitting with a placebo).
• Although more people taking varenicline quit for six months or more than those using cytisine, the results were imprecise.
• There are more steps between knowing it works and people in the UK being able to start using cytisine to help them quit smoking.

Excruciatingly slow

• However, with varenicline now unavailable for two years, and 76,000 people still dying of tobacco-related disease in the UK each year, the process of making both varenicline and cytisine available in the UK feels excruciatingly slow.
• In the meantime, if you want to quit smoking, support is available.
• Jonathan Livingstone-Banks receives funding from National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Cancer Research UK (CRUK).

• TORONTO, April 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Apotex Inc. is pleased to announce that it has received a Drug Shortage Assistance Award from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in recognition of the company's substantial efforts to resolve a shortage of varenicline tablets.
• The award also recognizes the submission and ultimate approval of an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for varenicline tablets in the U.S. market.
• "We're proud to receive this important award from the FDA, and to be recognized for our commitment to public health" said Allan Oberman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Apotex.
• Working with drug companies and manufacturers like Apotex, the FDA helped prevent 317 drug shortages in 2021.

• FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Alira Health , a global healthcare advisory, clinical research and technology company, is pleased to announce today the appointment of Annabel de Maria as Chief Patient Officer.
• "At Alira Health, we truly believe that patients should be at the center of everything we do," said Gabriele Brambilla, CEO and Co-Founder of Alira Health.
• "I am proud to have Annabel leading in this critically important position as our Chief Patient Officer, in collaboration with all of our teams and services across Alira Health.
• "I am honored to bring the voice of the patient, in collaboration with teams across Alira Health, our clients, and our global partnerships, in this central role as Chief Patient Officer," Annabel de Maria said.

• The global market for smoking cessation and nicotine de-addiction products is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15% during the forecast period of 2022 to 2030.
• Additionally, the introduction of smoking cessation therapies by various companies has resulted in the growth of a wide variety of alternative therapies in the global smoking cessation and nicotine de-addiction products market.
• As a result, there is a growing demand in the market for nicotine detoxification products such as gums and patches that contain nicotine.
• It is anticipated that the growing demand for electronic cigarettes and nicotine de-addiction products will drive growth in the market for smoking cessation and nicotine de-addiction products.