First Non-Addictive Smoking Cessation Pill Cleared by the FDA The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just given its approval for a new prescription drug called Zyban to be used by smokers to quit the habit. Zyban is the first non-nicotine smoking cessation aid and will join the ranks of existing nicotine-based smoking cessation products in treating nicotine addiction, including the patch, gum, nasal sprays and inhalers. In six to eight weeks the drug will be available by prescription only.
Zyban is made by Glaxo Wellcome PLC. The active ingredient in this drug is bupropion which helps to stimulate the production of dopamine and norepinephrine, the same two brain chemicals that are stimulated by nicotine and give a person energy and the sense of well-being. Bupropion is also found in the antidepressant drug marketed as Wellbutrin SR. Since bupropion, unlike nicotine, is not addictive, smokers can take the drug and get the same sensation as nicotine without the addictive effect.
In clinical trials using over 1,500 "chronic" smokers (people who smoke 15 or more cigarettes a day), researchers found that 49% of patients using Zyban quit smoking after four weeks. This compares to 36% for patients using the nicotine patch and 23% for patients using a placebo. Zyban used in conjunction with the nicotine patch had an even greater success rate, at 56%. The only negative effect seen by patients using Zyban was that 40% of them experienced insomnia. However, the makers of Zyban recommend taking the pill earlier in the evening rather than right before bedtime to avoid this problem.
Doctors recommend that smokers begin taking Zyban two weeks before they intend to stop smoking so that the drug has time to reach its peak effectiveness. They also advise that people who have a history of seizures, bulimia or anorexia do not take the drug as there is a small seizure risk associated with the drug (about one in a thousand).