Nicotine quick-fix mouth spray helps some quitters
“I think we are not criticizing such products for their intended use, treatment of withdrawal,” Connolly said.
But, he added, “Dependence on tobacco encompasses other factors - factors that exist far longer than nicotine withdrawal and that, over the long term result in relapse.”
Smokers who are highly motivated to quit, and get themselves out of the social environment that feeds their habit, may have the best chances of lasting success, according to Connolly.
Even with combination therapies, kicking the smoking habit is often an uphill battle. The ALA estimates that it takes the average smoker five or six serious attempts to finally quit.
And according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 36 percent of the nation’s smokers try to kick the habit each year - but only three percent succeed in quitting for six months or more.
SOURCE: European Respiratory Journal, online February 9, 2012
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Efficacy of a nicotine mouth spray in smoking cessation: a randomised, double blind trial
P. Tønnesen, H. Lauri, R. Perfekt, K. Mann and A. Batra
Dept of Pulmonary Medicine, Gentofte University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
Global Medical Affairs & Clinical Research, McNeil AB, Helsingborg, Sweden
Dept of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Germany
Dept of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Section for Addiction Medicine and Research, University Hospital of Tubingen, Germany
P. Tønnesen, Dept of Pulmonary Medicine, Gentofte University Hospital, DK-2900 Hellerup, Denmark, E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
A nicotine mouth spray has advantages over other acute forms of nicotine replacement therapy such as a faster uptake of nicotine and faster relief of craving.
This multicentre, randomised (2:1), double blind, placebo-controlled efficacy and safety study evaluated self-reported, carbon monoxide-verified continuous abstinence from smoking from Week 2 until Weeks 6, 24, and 52 in 479 smokers (≥ one cigarette per day) who were treated with either active (n=318) or placebo (n=161) spray for 12 weeks and low-intensity counselling at three smoking cessation clinics in Denmark and Germany.
Active treatment yielded significantly higher continuous abstinence rates than placebo from Week 2 until Week 6 (26.1% vs. 16.1%, relative success rate (RR) 1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09, 2.41), Week 24 (15.7% vs. 6.8%, RR 2.30, 95%CI, 1.23, 4.30), and Week 52 (13.8% vs. 5.6%, RR 2.48, 95% CI, 1.24, 4.94). Most adverse events were mild to moderate, and 9.1% of subjects on active spray withdrew due to adverse events, compared to 7.5% on placebo. The overall rate of treatment-related adverse events was 87.4% with active vs. 71.4% with placebo spray.
Nicotine mouth spray delivered significantly higher 6-, 24-, and 52-Week continuous abstinence rates than placebo.
Provided by ArmMed Media