Health
First new ‘quit-smoking’ drug in 20 years shows promising results in US trial: ‘Hope and excitement’
A new drug may be on the horizon to help people kick the world’s deadliest habit.
Achieve Life Sciences, Inc., a Seattle, Washington-based pharmaceutical company, has announced positive results from the Phase 3 trial of a drug called cytisinicline.
Smoking claims more than seven million lives each year worldwide, making it the leading cause of preventable death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). By 2030, the number of casualties is expected to rise to eight million per year.
BE WELL: QUIT SMOKING (OR ENCOURAGE SOMEONE ELSE TO KICK THE HABIT)
Medications to help people quit smoking have been limited.
There are currently only two non-nicotine therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and no new drugs have been introduced in nearly 20 years.
“The smoking epidemic has been long overlooked, and very few clinical advances have been made to help the millions of people who are addicted to nicotine and want to break free from smoking,” said John Bencich, CEO of Achieve Life Sciences, in an email to Fox News Digital.
“Cytisinicline is believed to help people overcome their dependence to nicotine by reducing the cravings and withdrawal effects experienced while quitting,” he added.
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The only two non-nicotine therapies on the market today are Varenicline tartrate (brand names Chantix and Champix) and Bupropion hydrochloride (marketed as Wellbutrin and Zyban).
Both have been linked with some serious side effects.
“The currently available treatments have a history of ‘black box warnings’ and high rates of adverse events that lead to lack of adoption and/or compliance to staying on the treatment,” said Bencich.
“The smoking epidemic has been long overlooked.”
“Historically, fewer than 4% of the U.S. smoking population have chosen to use Chantix to help them quit smoking,” he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Pfizer (maker of Chantix) and Bausch Health (maker of Wellbutrin) seeking comment.
There are also some nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products on the market, which help with withdrawal symptoms while omitting some of the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes — but they’re not for everyone.
“Many of the current nicotine replacement strategies — such as nicotine gum, patches and lozenges — can be beneficial, but may have tolerability limitations, resulting in a lack of compliance,” said Dr. Chris Tuell, clinical director of addiction services at the Lindner Center of HOPE at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, in an email to Fox News Digital.
“The currently available treatments have a history of ‘black box warnings’ and high rates of adverse events.”
“This recent cytisinicline study appears to be a step in a positive direction, providing some very encouraging news for the more than half of Americans who attempt to quit smoking every year and fail,” he said.
Trial shows promising results
Compared to a placebo, cytisinicline was shown to be up to eight times more effective in helping people reduce their dependence on nicotine and quit smoking.
Those who took cytisinicline were six times likelier to still be smoke-free after six months, the study found.
This was Achieve’s second Phase 3 study of cytisinicline.
(A Phase 3 study is intended to monitor a drug’s effectiveness and potential for adverse reactions, per the FDA’s website.)
Nearly 800 adult smokers at 20 clinical trial sites in the U.S. participated in this most recent trial.
“The study participants were heavy smokers with a long history of smoking and numerous prior quit attempts, yet they still had success quitting with cytisinicline,” Bencich shared.
On average, the participants were 53 years of age, smoked a median of 20 cigarettes per day and had a median smoking history of 36 years with four prior quit attempts.
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The participants received three doses a day for a period of either six weeks or 12 weeks, compared to others who received a placebo.
Data from the two Phase 3 trials have shown very low rates of side effects, with no serious treatment-related adverse events reported.
The drug, which is naturally derived from a plant source, has now been evaluated with a total of more than 2,000 participants with low rates of adverse events, Bencich said.
Smoking drug could also help with other addictions, doctor says
The U.S. isn’t the first country to use this type of medication for smoking cessation, as Dr. Lawrence Weinstein, chief medical officer of American Addiction Centers in Tampa, Florida, told Fox News Digital.
“Cytisine and cytisine derivatives have been successfully used for smoking cessation agents for decades in other countries, and the results of this clinical trial confirm those previous findings,” he said.
“Should this cessation aid become widely available, the benefits could potentially be seen in the wider field of addiction treatment,” Weinstein added.
“The availability of this medication for nicotine dependence could have positive far-reaching effects.”
For many, a reliance on smoking often comes with the use of alcohol and other substances, he explained.
“The rate of smoking among those with an alcohol use disorder is very high due to the increased effect produced when both are used simultaneously,” said Weinstein.
“When it comes to other substances, smoking has been linked to increased cravings for stimulants and opiates and could trigger a relapse,” he warned.
Many studies over the years have shown a positive correlation between smoking cessation and long-term abstinence from alcohol and substances, the doctor said.
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“The availability of this medication for nicotine dependence could have positive far-reaching effects,” he added.
Additionally, in a separate trial for vaping cessation, Achieve recently found that cytisinicline may also be effective in helping people overcome their dependence on nicotine vapes.
Next up: FDA approval
Achieve has already begun the process of filing with the FDA and expects to submit a new drug application in the first half of 2024, Bencich told Fox News Digital.
“If approved, cytisinicline could be the first FDA-approved treatment option for nicotine dependency in almost 20 years,” he said.
“We are optimistic that this news will bring hope and excitement to people who smoke and their caregivers that something new may be able to help them quit in the future.”
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Your 2024 Gemini Season Horoscope: What’s in Store for You, Based on Your Sign
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Health
8 of the most important health stories this week, in case you missed them
Fox News Digital publishes a range of health and wellness pieces all week long to keep you in the know.
Health coverage includes articles on new medications, mental health challenges, groundbreaking resources, personal medical dramas and more.
In case you missed them, here are a few of our biggest health stories from this week.
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These are just a few of what’s new.
See a full list of recent health pieces at http://www.foxnews/health.
1. Mom seeks ‘perfect match’ to help daughter
A 10-year-old girl in Pennsylvania is in dire need of a bone marrow transplant — and her mother is on a mission to find the perfect match. Fox News Digital talked to Ashleigh Walter about the importance of joining the donor registry. Click here to get the story.
2. Many nurses ready to jump ship
More than half of surveyed nurses say they’re likely to leave the profession. Find out the source of their frustration — and what they say needs to change in the field. Click here to get the story.
3. Orangutan heals its own wound in the wild
An orangutan in a protected Indonesian rainforest site who sustained a facial wound treated the injury himself, researchers say. Learn the amazing story of how he did it. Click here to get the story.
4. Simple sleep hack could help you drift off
For those who are struggling to get enough sleep, the ABCs may be the key to getting more Zzzs. Sleep experts chimed in on why this method works. Click here to get the story.
5. Experts offer tips on grieving during Mother’s Day
For those who are experiencing their first Mother’s Day after losing a mom, a mental health expert offered five tips for navigating the difficult emotions. Click here to get the story.
6. Should seniors get screened for breast cancer?
The official guidance is for women ages 40 to 74 to get mammograms every other year, but some experts call for the recommendations to include older women as well. Click here to get the story.
7. Global bacterial outbreak sparks concern
Cholera, a bacterial disease typically spread by food and water, continues to surge around the world. As vaccines remain in short supply, experts warned about the global risk. Click here to get the story.
8. Common snack could slash diabetes risk
Eating yogurt regularly could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to the FDA. Nutritionists weighed in on the potential benefits and also urge caution. Click here to get the story.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
Health
Common cooking ingredient could reduce dementia mortality risk, study suggests
Infusing more olive oil into your diet could pay big dividends for cognitive health and longevity, a new study suggests.
Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and other universities analyzed population health data for more than 92,000 adults over a 28-year period. The participants’ average age was 56 and none of them had heart disease or cancer.
They found that people who consumed over 7 grams a day of olive oil had a 28% lower risk of dementia-related death compared to those who rarely or never consumed it.
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This was the case regardless of the quality of the person’s diet.
The dietary data was gathered from questionnaires; people reported their frequency of olive oil consumption.
Researchers then compared that to the rate of dementia death.
“Substituting olive oil intake for margarine and mayonnaise was associated with lower risk of dementia mortality and may be a potential strategy to improve longevity free of dementia,” the researchers wrote in the study findings.
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“These findings extend the current dietary recommendations of choosing olive oil and other vegetable oils to the context of cognitive health and related mortality.”
The benefits of consuming olive oil come from its antioxidant properties, according to Lindsay Allan, registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Back in Balance Nutrition, LLC, in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Allan was not involved in the Harvard study.
“Oxidative stress is one of the main root causes of disease — this is why we always talk about consuming plenty of antioxidant-rich foods that have the capability to ‘quench’ those free radicals or ‘oxidants’ that are causing damage to our cells,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Extra virgin olive oil is one of those foods that are super high in phenolic compounds, which act as potent antioxidants in the body,” she continued.
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“So it makes sense that consuming olive oil frequently — as opposed to those highly oxidized, processed seed oils that we find all over grocery stores — would mitigate the damage to the neurons caused by oxidative stress.”
Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, who practices as The Lupus Dietitian, was not involved in the study but commented on the health benefits of olive oil.
“Olive oil is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, a nutritious fat that many people don’t consume enough of,” she told Fox News Digital.
“A higher omega-3 intake is known to reduce dementia and cognitive decline. It’s great to see the association between consuming olive oil, a great source of omega 3s, and a reduced risk of dementia.”
“It would be wonderful if a particular food could delay or prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but we do not have scientific evidence that these claims are true.”
Experts from the Alzheimer’s Association noted that the study had “significant limitations.”
“This study looked at people’s health records, death records, diet, and food frequency questionnaires to try to identify possible connections between specific food intake and risk of dementia-related death,” noted Rebecca M. Edelmayer, PhD, senior director of scientific engagement at the Alzheimer’s Association.
“It is not an intervention study where some people ate olive oil and some didn’t — which is the ‘gold standard’ for the way a treatment clinical trial is conducted. That means this study can show an association or connection between two things, but can’t prove cause and effect.”
Edelmayer also noted that death records may not be a reliable determination of dementia mortality, because dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are often “underreported” as a cause of death.
There is also a need for studies among wider populations, Edelmayer added, as this one mainly focused on non-Hispanic White people.
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“There is good, quality evidence that consuming more olive oil and similar vegetable oils and less animal fats has health benefits, in particular heart health benefits,” she said.
“It would be wonderful if a particular food could delay or prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but we do not have scientific evidence that these claims are true. We need randomized controlled clinical trials to evaluate whether any foods have a scientifically proven beneficial effect.”
Experts agree that a multitude of factors come into play when assessing dementia risk.
“In addition to olive oil intake, people should still aim to exercise regularly, keep up with hobbies that stimulate their mind, and consume other healthy foods for the most protection against developing dementia,” Frierich said.
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“Additionally, other habits like smoking and alcohol use or health conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol can contribute to the development of dementia.”
It’s also important to maintain regularly scheduled doctors’ appointments to manage other health risks, according to the experts.
Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for additional comment.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
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