What is Champix®
What is Champix®?CHAMPIX® (Varenicline) is a prescription only medicine specifically developed to help adults quit smoking. You will need to consult your Doctor to see if CHAMPIX® is right you. CHAMPIX® is different from other ways to quit. It doesn’t contain nicotine, but works on the same receptors as nicotine. It’s the addiction to nicotine inhaled from smoking that makes quitting so hard and Champix® is not addictive. Champix® has been developed with a unique dual mode of action specifically to reduce the impact of nicotine during the quitting process. 1. Reducing the cravings and withdrawals 2. Reducing the pleasurable effects of smoking To learn how Champix® works click here
Champix® has been tested in two identical clinical trials with patients motivated to quit smoking who received either CHAMPIX® 1 mg twice a day, bupropion 150mg twice a day, or sugar pills twice a day for 12 weeks. This information was compared among the 3 groups. Patients were considered to have quit if they did not smoke a cigarette or use other nicotine products for the final 4 weeks of treatment. After treatment, they were followed for another 40 weeks to check if they continued smoke free. Following the recommended 12 weeks of therapy, approximately 44% of CHAMPIX® users remained smoke free, compared to 30% on bupropion and 18% on placebo or sugar pills. These two trials demonstrated that Champix® users were significantly more likely to quit smoking than those taking either bupropion or sugar pills at the end of the treatment, in fact 4 times more likely than those on sugar pills (odds ratio=3.69*; p<0.0001) and twice as likely as those taking bupropion (odds ratio*,=1.87; p<0.0001¥)#. At week 52, following the initial 12 weeks of active pharmacological treatment, approximately 22.5% of Champix®# users remained smoke free#. To learn more about the effectiveness of Champix® click here Champix® has a favourable safety and tolerability profile. As with all medicines, some patients will experience side effects. In clinical trials nausea was the most common side effect experienced by about 3 out of 10 people taking Champix®. It was usually described as mild or moderate and tended to decrease over the course of therapy. Only a very small number of people had to stop taking Champix® because of the nausea. To view the Champix® Consumer Medicines information click here CHAMPIX® is proven to be effective, but it's not a magic pill. For most people, smoking is both a physical and behavioural addiction. That’s why we also offer a support plan. CHAMPIX® can help reduce the cravings and urge to smoke and also reduce the pleasure obtained from smoking. Liferewards programme™ Support Plan can help you learn to break your smoking routine. CHAMPIX® should be taken for 12 weeks. *An odds ratio is a way of comparing whether the probability of a certain event is the same for two groups. An odds ratio of 1 implies that the event is equally likely in both groups. An odds ratio greater than one implies that the event is more likely in the first group. An odds ratio less than one implies that the event is less likely in the first group. ¥ p value of <0.001 means that the results of the study are statistically significant and are considered very unlikely to have occurred by chance. # Gonzales DH et al. A pooled analysis of varenicline, an alpha 4 beta 2 nicotinic receptor partial agonist vs. bupropion, and placebo, for smoking cessation. Presented at 12th SRNT, 15-18th Feb, 2006, Orlando, Florida. Abstract PA 1. Gonzales D et al. Varenicline, an a4b2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist, vs sustained-release bupropion and placebo for smoking cessation. A randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2006; 296(1):47-55. 2. Jorenby DE et al. Efficacy of varenicline, an a4b2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
partial agonist, vs placebo or sustained-release bupropion for smoking cessation. A randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2006; 296(1):56-63. CHAMPIX™ (varenicline tartrate) is a prescription medicine used to help adults 18 and over stop smoking. It can help to reduce the satisfaction you may get from smoking and the craving and withdrawal symptoms that happen while you give up smoking. It is a medicine that you need to pay for and normal doctor’s fees apply. Do not take this medicine if you are under 18 or have an allergy to the active or other tablet ingredients. Tell your doctor if you have ever had depression or other mental health problems, have kidney problems or get kidney dialysis, have a history of repeated fits or convulsions, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or, if you are breastfeeding. Some people have had changes in behaviour, mood or thinking including anxiety, psychosis, mood swings, depressed mood, agitation, aggression, hearing or sensing things that are not there, self-harm, thoughts of self-harm or harming others while they use CHAMPIX. If you or your family notice changes in your behaviour or mood that are not typical for you, stop taking CHAMPIX immediately and contact a health care professional. Some people can have allergic reactions to CHAMPIX. Some of these reactions can be life threatening and include swelling of the face, mouth and throat that can cause trouble breathing. Some people can have serious skin reactions while taking CHAMPIX. These include rash, swelling and redness of the skin that can become life threatening. Possible side effects with CHAMPIX include new or worse mental health problems, swelling or redness on parts of the face and body, nausea, headache, difficulty in sleeping, abnormal dreams, dizziness, constipation, flatulence, dry mouth and changes in taste. If you have side effects see your doctor. Always read the label and use strictly as directed. Contains varenicline 0.5mg & 1mg. Further medicine details available from your doctor or www.medsafe.govt.nz. Pfizer New Zealand LTD, Auckland.0800 736 363.
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