P1.2.3 Nicotine receptor partial agonists

The addictive properties of nicotine are considered to be mediated through its action as an agonist at alpha4beta2 nAnti-Cholinergic Receptors (α4β2 nAChR), which stimulate the release of dopamine. (Coe et al., 2005) Varenicline was developed to counteract the effects of nicotine on the nAChRs, and its efficacy in smoking cessation has been assessed in a Cochrane systematic review. (Cahill et al., 2008) In five trials of varenicline compared to placebo for smoking cessation, it was found to be significantly more effective for continuous abstinence at 12 months than placebo (n = 2023, OR 3.22, 95% CI 2.43 to 4.27, NNT = 8, 95% CI 6 to 11). A 12-week course of treatment is recommended, starting 1–2 weeks before the quit date and titrating the dose as follows: days 1–3: 0.5 mg daily; days 4–7: increase to 0.5 mg twice daily; and continue with 1 mg twice daily from day 8 to the end of a 12-week treatment course. Efficacy has also been demonstrated in people with COPD in a double-blind, multinational study of 504 patients with mild to moderate COPD.(Tashkin et al., 2011) The primary end point of carbon monoxide-confirmed continuous abstinence rate (CAR) for weeks 9 to 12 was significantly higher for patients in the varenicline group (42.3%) than for those in the placebo group (8.8%) (OR, 8.40; 95% CI, 5-14; P<.0001) [evidence level II]. Although adverse effects could not be pooled for analysis in the systematic review, multiple trials reported an increased incidence of minor effects, particularly nausea, which was mostly at mild to moderate levels and usually subsided over time, but also insomnia and abnormal dreams. People planning to use the drug should set a date to stop smoking and be warned that varenicline frequently causes nausea which may settle over time and taking it with food and a full glass of water may help reduce nausea. As varenicline is a new drug in a new class of drugs, uncertainty exists about its safety profile and there have been some post-marketing reports of new onset of depressed mood, aggressive and erratic behaviour, suicidal thoughts and suicide within days to weeks of starting in patients with and without pre-existing psychiatric illness.(http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm106540.htm). Varenicline has no known clinically meaningful interactions with other drugs. Two trials have tested the use of varenicline beyond the 12-week standard regimen and found the drug to be well-tolerated and effective during long-term use. Three studies comparing varenicline with bupropion found it to be significantly more effective in achieving continuous abstinence at one year (n = 1,622, OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.16, NNT = 14, 95% CI 9 to 32). A recent open-label study comparing varenicline with NRT did not find any difference in one-year cessation rates, despite higher abstinence at the end of treatment. (Aubin et al., 2008)