Anti-smoking pill gets approval for NHS use

LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) An anti-smoking pill, costing 164 pounds for a 12-week course of treatment, was approved for use on the NHS, just weeks before a smoking ban comes into effect in England.

Tests have shown the anti-smoking agent varenicline to be the most effective treatment yet to help smokers quit.

The government drugs advisory agency, The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), said in draft guidance yesterday that varenicline, sold as Champix, offers a cheaper and more effective option than existing treatments.

But some groups have criticised Nice's draft approval, pointing out that it has recently turned down other treatments for cancer and Alzheimer's.

Tests for varenicline show that smokers who use it can triple their likelihood of successfully kicking the habit, compared with trying to quit without medication.

The pill, taken twice a day, also outstrips other anti-smoking agents such as bupropion, Nice analysis showed.

A spokesman for Nice said: ''Having looked at all the evidence, our independent committee have concluded that varenicline appears to be a good way to help people who want to quit smoking.'' He added that the prescription-only drug, which costs 54.60 pounds per pack, should be provided in conjunction with counselling and support.

The drug partially stimulates nicotine receptors in the brain, which helps reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms. It also partially blocks nicotine from attaching to these receptors, making smoking less satisfying and so curbing a person's desire to smoke.

Nice's final guidance is expected in July, when the smoking ban in public places comes into force in England.

Anti-smoking group ASH welcomed the move, but Dr Eamonn Butler, director of the Adam Smith Institute, questioned Nice's priorities.

''It seems odd that smokers should get this when people with really life-threatening conditions can't get the medicines they need,'' he told the Daily Telegraph.

Others have pointed out that the cost of Champix will be recouped from the NHS's 1.5 billion pound annual bill for treating diseases caused by smoking.

REUTERS AK PM0850