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A new study published in the journal Addiction found that cytisine, a generic smoking cessation drug used in Eastern Europe since the 1960s, was twice as likely to help people quit smoking compared to a placebo. More effective than nicotine replacement therapy. It has a safe safety profile with no evidence of significant safety concerns.
Sounds like a perfect New Year's resolution, right? But there is a problem. Cytisine is not licensed or sold in most countries except Central and Eastern Europe, making it unavailable in many countries around the world, including many low- and middle-income countries, making a big difference to the global economy. . health.
Cytisine is an herbal supplement that relieves smoking withdrawal symptoms. It was first synthesized as Tabex in Bulgaria in 1964 and later spread to other countries in Eastern Europe and Asia, where it is still sold today. In 2017, Polish pharmaceutical company Aflofarm began selling the prescription drug Desmoxan, and Canada approved it as an over-the-counter natural health food Cravv. Because cytisine is a low-cost drug, it could be part of plans to increase access to drug treatment for limited smokers in low- and middle-income countries.
Lead author Dr. Omar Di Santi explains: “Our study provides evidence that cytisine is an effective and affordable smoking cessation aid. This could be very useful in reducing smoking in LAMI countries, where cost-effective smoking cessation drugs are urgently needed. Smoking is considered one of the main preventable causes of death worldwide. Cytisine could be one of the big answers to this problem.”
The study pooled the results of eight randomized controlled trials that compared citzin and placebo in nearly 6,000 patients. Overall, the results showed that cytisine doubled the odds of successfully quitting smoking compared to placebo. The review also included two randomized controlled trials comparing cytisine with nicotine replacement therapy (with moderate results in favor of cytisine) and three trials comparing cytisine with varenicline (no benefit for cytisine).
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