Antismoking
foundations have sprouted at regular intervals consistently in different parts
of the world, with an objective of overcoming the addiction to smoking. Various products have been undergone clinical
research for efficacy and safety. There have been abundant developments in the
form of extraction and novel delivery of nicotine that is devoid of dangerous
and hazardous chemicals that usually part of smoke. Developments
have evolved and promulgated into electric cigar and Trans dermal patches etc. Novel products with the variation
in delivery system such as these are acting on the same receptors where the
active from smoke too act. i.e., nicotinic receptors. Hence, there exists a
scope for products that are devoid of nicotine.
Lately, Varenicline an active
is indicated for Smoking cessation. It is found to be more effective than NRTs and nicotine agonists1&2. Among the recent developments, Champix found
to be the best of the rest. Drug of this kind work through the mechanism of
competitative inhibition and prevent the nicotinic effects. Nowadays, Clinical trials are being focused
on towards the development of antismoking vaccine3.
Recent news
suggests that around 4.1 milliion US dollors have gone in drain through an
exhaustive clinical trial performed by Glaxo – Nabi collaboration for vaccine.
The objective of that vaccine was supposed to induce the creation of an
antibody; this in turn intends to prevent the transportation of nicotine
through Blood Brain Barrier. These
concepts and drug targets are food for thought for those in the drug discovery
and development fields. Currently, there are around 1.1 billion smokers in the
world and these numbers are increasing steadily day after day; therefore,
developments in the field of smoking cessation is the field that could be
tapped by the pharmaceutical companies.
References:
1.
^ a b Jorenby
DE, Hays JT, Rigotti NA, Azoulay S, Watsky EJ, Williams KE, Billing CB, Gong J,
Reeves KR (2006). "Efficacy
of varenicline, an alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial
agonist, vs placebo or sustained-release bupropion for smoking cessation: a
randomized controlled trial". JAMA 296 (1): 56–63. doi:10.1001/jama.296.1.56.PMID 16820547.
2.
^ a b Mills
EJ, Wu P, Spurden D, Ebbert JO, Wilson K (2009). "Efficacy
of pharmacotherapies for short-term smoking abstinance: a systematic review and
meta-analysis". Harm
Reduct J 6: 25. doi:10.1186/1477-7517-6-25. PMC 2760513. PMID 19761618.
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