A “game-changer” pill is to be offered to tens of thousands of smokers in England who are trying to quit.
Varenicline can be more effective than nicotine-replacement gum or patches, and as effective as vapes, in helping people to stop smoking, according to NHS England.
The daily pill is said to reduce cravings and the pleasurable effects of nicotine that keep people addicted.
It also helps with withdrawal symptoms such as irritability or sleeping problems and patients usually take a 12-week course.
It’s estimated it could help more than 85,000 people per year and prevent up to 9,500 smoking-related deaths over the next five years, according to University College London (UCL).
Varenicline will become another option for people using NHS stop smoking services in England.
A branded version of the smoking cessation pill – known as Champix – was previously prescribed, but then withdrawn by Pfizer in 2021 as a precaution after an impurity was discovered.
However, the NHS said a generic version of the drug, from pharmaceutical firm Teva UK, has now been approved as safe by the…
