title: Varenicline: for smoking cessation.
abstract: Varenicline, a partial agonist of alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), is the most recently approved drug for smoking cessation. Despite the availability of effective treatments for smoking cessation, such as nicotine replacement therapy and Bupropion sustained-release, abstinence rates remain less than optimal. As a nAChR partial agonist, Varenicline attenuates the craving and withdrawal symptoms that occur with abstinence from nicotine and also reduces the rewarding effects of nicotine obtained from smoking in patients who lapse. Clinical trials have demonstrated superior efficacy of this drug over Bupropion-SR for achieving abstinence from smoking, and Varenicline has also been shown to significantly delay smoking relapse. As the latest agent approved for smoking cessation, the mechanism of action, efficacy, and safety of Varenicline has been reviewed in this paper.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal, India.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Shankar
mesh_terms: D001552:Benzazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D000068580:Varenicline
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D011810:Quinoxalines; D000068580:Varenicline