Key Highlights:
- The NHS England is rolling out a new and improved pill to help people stop smoking, giving thousands of smokers a better chance to quit for good.
- Varenicline works by reducing nicotine cravings by blocking its effect on the brain as well as easing withdrawal symptoms like irritability and trouble sleeping.
- Varenicline was previously known under the brand name Champix, but was discontinued due to impurity concerns.
As part of the UK government's efforts to create a smoke-free generation, the National Health Service (NHS) England is rolling out a new and improved pill to help people stop smoking, giving thousands of smokers a better chance to quit for good.
The smoking cessation pill, known as Varenicline, will be offered to around 85,000 smokers in England to help them kick the habit alongside behavioural support, according to a November press release.
NHS England states that the tablet is as effective as vapes in helping people stop smoking and performs even better than nicotine-replacement gum or patches. About 1 in 4 people who take varenicline with behavioural support manage to quit for at least six months, the NHS reported.
Varenicline works by reducing nicotine cravings by blocking its effect on the brain as well as easing withdrawal symptoms like irritability and trouble sleeping. It was previously known under the brand name Champix, made by Pfizer since 2006. However, Champix was withdrawn in 2021 due to precautionary concerns about impurity, and so a new generic version followed that was approved by the Medicines Health and Regulatory Authority (MHRA) this month. The pharmaceutical company Teva UK will manufacture the drug for the NHS.
A decline in smoking rates over the past couple of decades means that only 11.6% of adults in England still smoke – about 6 million people. There were more than 400,000 hospital admissions in England linked to smoking last year, alongside 74,600 smoking-related deaths in the UK in 2019, accounting for around 15% of all deaths that year.
Prevention is better than cure."
Research from University College London suggests using varenicline could prevent nearly 1,900 smoking-related deaths each year. On top of that, previous data on Champix showed that £1.65 was saved in healthcare costs for every £1 spent on the drug. NHS England expects the cost-benefit ratio to be even better with the cheaper generic version.
NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard said: “This simple daily pill could be a game-changer for people who want to quit smoking and is another vital step in shifting our NHS further towards prevention.”
This rollout ties in with the UK government’s new Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which aims to gradually phase out smoking as it expects to curb the £2.5bn spent each year on the NHS treating smoking-related health issues.
The new laws will stop anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, from buying tobacco, effectively raising the legal smoking age in England by one year every year.
“Alongside supporting the Government’s ambition to create the first smoke-free generation, we are giving current smokers the tools they need to quit – with proven treatment options like this, alongside specialist care, helping to save thousands of lives and the NHS millions of pounds in treatment costs,” Pritchard added.
“Prevention is better than cure," added Wes Streeting, Health and Social Care Secretary. "The rollout of this pill can save the NHS millions of pounds, save appointments to help other patients be seen faster, and save lives. Taken alongside our tobacco and vapes bill, the government and NHS are building a healthy society to help power a healthy economy.”
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently reviewing a second drug called cytisine that could also help in the fight against smoking – this compound works in a similar way to varenicline.