http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/vaccines.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=nicotine-replacement-drugs-bad-trip&sc=rss http://tobacco.org/news/270465.html Abbott Laboratories, Targacept and AstraZeneca have nicotinic receptor drugs in clinical trials for memory impairment, adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and pain. The National Institute on Drug Abuse is testing varenicline itself as a treatment for cocaine and alcohol dependence. Preclinical studies are looking at other new nicotinic receptor compounds for Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, ulcerative colitis and inflammation as well, attesting to the broad influence of this receptor family. The effects of nicotinic receptors are so pervasive, in fact, that some of the mechanisms involved are not completely understood. “It’s a story that’s still evolving, and it’s very complicated, so going in with a drug like varenicline, I’m not surprised that there are side effects,” says Lorna Role, who studies the receptors’ biology at Columbia University and Stony Brook University. This type of acetylcholine receptor, which also responds to nicotine, acts as “a volume control” for other neurotransmitters, according to Role. “A little nicotine turns up transmitter release,” she explains. “It’s been shown to increase the release of dopa­mine, glutamate, GABA—every major neurotransmitter.” . . . “It’s just like the SSRIs,” Role agrees. “I think refining the compounds in terms of the balance of their activities is really key, but that’s not to say that’s trivial. It’ll take time.” Targeting nicotinic receptors “has enormous therapeutic potential,” she says, adding that the biggest joke on the tobacco industry may be that they missed seeing it. Scientific American Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2008/8/24/health/1841711&sec=health http://tobacco.org/news/270353.html PFIZER Malaysia recently launched its new smoking cessation pill, varenicline, a breakthrough non-nicotine oral medication. It has a novel mechanism of action which helps smokers quit smoking by providing dual benefits. Varenicline is unique because it is specifically designed to partially activate the nicotinic receptor and reduce the severity of the smoker's craving and the withdrawal symptoms from nicotine. The Star starmag-feedback@thestar.com.my Malaysia Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.lawyersusaonline.com/index.cfm/archive/view/id/431683 http://tobacco.org/news/270308.html David Collins, a 59-year-old Indiana man, began taking Chantix in October 2007 after his doctor prescribed it to help him stop smoking. . . . Linda Collins is suing Pfizer, the manufacturer of Chantix, alleging that the company failed to warn consumers that the popular smoking-cessation prescription medication may cause serious psychiatric symptoms, including erratic behavior and suicidal thoughts. The lawsuit, filed in July in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, is the first of what may be a torrent of claims. Kristian Rasmussen, a pharmaceutical plaintiffs' attorney who is representing Linda Collins, said his firm, Cory Watson Crowder & Degaris in Birmingham, Ala., has received more than 1,400 inquiries from Chantix users and their families. In addition to the Collins case, the firm has filed suits in state courts in Louisiana and New York. It has 200 cases, all involving suicides or suicide attempts by Chantix users. Lawyers Weekly USA nora.tooher@lawyersusaonline.com (Nora Lockwood Tooher) Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7574347.stm http://tobacco.org/news/270250.html A controversial pill is boosting the success of smokers in England in kicking the habit, NHS figures suggest. One in seven people trying to quit are using Champix, according to the first figures published since the stop smoking drug was licensed in 2006. And NHS Information Centre data showed 63% of people were successful last year at the four-week mark compared to half using nicotine replacement therapy. Champix has come under scrutiny over reports it causes suicidal feelings. BBC Online UK Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-28-2008/0004856392&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/269932.html New data published today in the August issue of Thorax shows no significant differences in 6-month and 1-year quit rates between the NicoDerm(R) CQ(R) Clear Patch and Chantix (varenicline tartrate) despite statistically higher quit rates for Chantix (varenicline tartrate) at 12 weeks. According to the official 2008 U.S. Public Health Service Guideline, longer-term quit rates at the 6-month milestone are the most predictive of long-term success. The Thorax paper, entitled, "Varenicline versus transdermal nicotine patch for smoking cessation: results from a randomised open-label trial", reports on a 52-week study that is the first-ever direct comparison of the NicoDerm CQ Clear Patch to Chantix (varenicline tartrate). The study was conducted using an "open-label" design, meaning that subjects knew what medication they were taking. Though this design may have favored the new pill, Chantix (varenicline tartrate) did not demonstrate long-term superiority to NicoDerm CQ. "This study confirms that there is no magic bullet when it comes to smoking cessation and that both therapeutic nicotine and Chantix (varenicline tartrate) demonstrate long-term effectiveness," PR Newswire Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/article_feature.asp?guid=F35A633B-FEEA-4E31-A6F7-05949774C6D9 http://tobacco.org/news/269873.html Nabi announces positive interim results of Phase II NicVAX schedule optimization study. Positive interim results, assessing the antibody response and safety of a 400mcg, six-dose immunization schedule of Nabi Biopharmaceuticals' NicVAX, provide a new indication of the vaccine's potential to treat nicotine addiction and prevent smoking relapse. These results make the product a more attractive licensing proposition as Nabi gears up to initiate pivotal Phase III trials. . . . Nabi has previously stated that it intends to seek a commercialization partner and/or obtain external funding for the development of NicVAX. With Phase III trials planned to start by the end of 2008, these latest results should attract greater interest from large pharmaceutical companies looking to enter the lucrative nicotine dependence market. With the launch now predicted for 2011, Datamonitor anticipates NicVAX to be the first vaccine to enter the nicotine dependence market. Pharmaceutical Business Review Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/health/article-1039949/Vaccines-smoking-obesity-high-blood-pressure-developed-decade.html?ITO=1490 http://tobacco.org/news/269402.html Vaccines against smoking, obesity and high blood pressure could all be developed within the next decade, scientists believe. . . . Anti-smoking vaccines are also undergoing human trials, this week's New Scientist magazine reports. In a U.S. trial of 300 cigarette smokers, 15 per cent of those vaccinated quit after a year of treatment. New Scientist says: 'The second vaccine revolution will not eradicate killer diseases. 'It might, however, cut the death toll from problems, that, if untreated, will become some of the biggest killers of the 21st century.' The Mail Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=cancer-vaccine-tobacco-plants http://tobacco.org/news/269214.html In the first human trial of its kind, a vaccine grown in genetically engineered tobacco plants has proved to be safe, paving the way to one day use it to help combat a potentially fatal form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA that the experimental vaccine triggered the immune systems of 11 of 16 volunteers (with so-called follicular B-cell lymphoma) to attack their tumors without any apparent dangerous side effects. Some 18,000 Americans, typically between the ages of 60 and 65, are diagnosed annually with this incurable, slow-growing type of cancer. Study coauthor Ronald Levy, an oncologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine, says that physicians generally take their cues from the disease, waiting to see how fast it is moving--and treating it with toxic chemotherapy (sometimes with radiation) only if it becomes aggressive. Scientific American Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/23/AR2008072300942.html http://tobacco.org/news/269102.html Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on Wednesday said quarterly earnings more than doubled on higher sales of its prescription drugs and lower expenses, but its Chantix quit-smoking drug lost more than a third of its U.S. sales amid safety concerns. . . . The company's U.S. sales fell 2 percent in the quarter, hurt by waning demand for Chantix, a medicine approved in mid-2006 that Pfizer had been counting on to help drive earnings growth in coming years. But the company in January said the drug would begin carrying a warning that it may cause agitation, depression and suicidal behavior, raising doubts about its future growth prospects. Global sales of Chantix, sold as Champix overseas, rose 3 percent to $207 million, but plunged 35 percent to $109 million in the United States. Reuters Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.news-medical.net/?id=39984 http://tobacco.org/news/269030.html Six treatments for smoking cessation perform better than placebos - including varenicline (Chantix), recently approved for use in Canada - states a team of researchers from McGill University and the University of Montreal in an article published in Canadian Medical Association Journal. This meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials totaling 32,000 participants found that varenicline, nicotine nasal spray, bupropion (Wellbutrin?), nicotine patches, tablets and gum helped people quit smoking. However, "despite the documented efficacy of these agents, the absolute number of patients who were abstinent from smoking at 12 months was low." According to the authors, varenicline was about twice as effective as bupropion. News-Medical.net /images/@ADVgrffix.gif Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080718/twl-smoking-vaccine-trialled-41f21e0.html http://tobacco.org/news/269016.html Scientists in Sweden are trialling a vaccine which could help smokers kick the habit. In three Nordic countries, 400 people are taking part in the clinical study by Independent Pharmaceutica - a private company based at Stockholm's Karolinska Institute. Chief Executive Lena Degling Wikingsson said: "By vaccination you will induce anti-bodies against nicotine and those anti-bodies will be very specific for nicotine. ITN Sweden Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.bioethicsforum.org/smoking-tobacco-chronic-disease-drug-treatment.asp http://tobacco.org/news/268764.html The latest entry in disease-mongering (an art form in pharmaceutical marketing) is tobacco dependence. Products approved for helping smokers quit are now being groomed for a new role as permanent substitutes for smoking, on the grounds, apparently, that the drugs kill fewer people than the cigarettes. A recent commentary in the Annals of Internal Medicine argues that tobacco dependence should be considered a medical disease, like asthma or diabetes. No, really, there's a table that compares tobacco use to diabetes. . . . The most important section of this article is the conflict of interest statement. The two authors who have advanced degrees are on the speaker's bureau of Pfizer and are consultants to Pfizer, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, and Celtic Pharma. . . . It is almost as if these companies had made a joint decision to cast smoking as a chronic disease in order to reposition their products as long-term maintenance medications, like methadone. . . . Reclassifying a dangerous habit as a chronic disease so that insurance companies will pay for nicotine replacement drugs to be taken off-label forever would transfer the financial burden for the patients' nicotine fix from the patients to their insurance companies. . . . However, the long-term use of expensive drugs that have not been tested for this use exposes people to unknown risks. Casting smoking as a "disease" disempowers those who want to quit; willpower may conquer a habit or addiction, but a disease calls for doctors and drugs. The positioning of nicotine dependence as a chronic condition requiring lifetime use of medication can only damage public health. The Hastings Center bioethicsforum@thehastingscenter.org (ADRIANE FUGH-BERMAN AND DOUGLAS MELNICK) Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_27/b4091042383124.htm http://tobacco.org/news/268763.html In April, four experts on smoking cessation published a paper espousing an unconventional plan for helping hard-core nicotine addicts quit. They proposed treating smokers as if they have a chronic disease akin to diabetes. Such patients should take prescription drugs for years to curb tobacco cravings, the researchers advised. The article, published in the prestigious Annals of Internal Medicine, might have slipped quietly into the vast body of antismoking literature were it not for its two closing paragraphs. There, authors Dr. Michael B. Steinberg and Dr. Jonathan Foulds disclosed that they are paid by manufacturers of smoking-cessation products for speaking and consulting. Among those companies is Pfizer (PFE), whose controversial drug Chantix the researchers mentioned favorably, along with other treatments. Use of Chantix has led to reports of suicidal thoughts and other psychiatric symptoms. . . . "There's an advantage to the drug companies selling their products to smokers for a lifetime rather than for six weeks," says Adriane J. Fugh-Berman, a Georgetown University scholar who co-wrote a scathing online attack on the paper for The Hastings Center, a health-ethics research group in Garrison, N.Y. "Medicine can be a useful adjunct to quitting [cigarettes], but the goal should be quitting," she says. . . . But they don't routinely reveal their Pfizer pay to hundreds of patients they've steered to Chantix. That has thrust Steinberg and Foulds into the middle of a raging debate about proselytizing by medical researchers and how corporate relationships should be disclosed to patients. Business Week Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/cmaj-sct070808.php http://tobacco.org/news/268751.html Six treatments for smoking cessation perform better than placebos — including varenicline (Chantix®), recently approved for use in Canada — states a team of researchers from McGill University and the University of Montreal in an article published in CMAJ. This meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials totaling 32,000 participants found that varenicline, nicotine nasal spray, bupropion (Wellbutrin®), nicotine patches, tablets and gum helped people quit smoking. However, "despite the documented efficacy of these agents, the absolute number of patients who were abstinent from smoking at 12 months was low." According to the authors, varenicline was about twice as effective as bupropion. EurekAlert mark.eisenberg@mcgill.ca Canada Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080715/LIVING25/807150313/1300/LIVING25 http://tobacco.org/news/268741.html Question: Do mental illnesses and cigarette addiction go hand in hand? Answer: That's correct. One recent study documents that up to 50 percent of cigarettes are smoked by people with some form of mental illness. This includes schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder. .. . What I'm arguing for is for psychiatrists to be trained in addiction. But that's a long way off. Indianapolis Star shari.rudavsky@indystar.com Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT