Varenicline

Varenicline, sold under the brand names Chantix and Champix among others, is a medication used for smoking cessation and for the treatment of dry eye disease. It is a nicotinic receptor partial agonist and a cholinergic agonist. When activated, this receptor releases dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, the brain's reward center, thereby reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms associated with smoking cessation. Common side effects of varenicline include nausea, insomnia, abnormal dreams, headache, and nasopharyngitis (inflammation of the nose and throat). Despite these potential adverse effects, varenicline has proven efficacy in helping individuals quit smoking. It is estimated that approximately one in eleven smokers who use varenicline successfully remain abstinent from tobacco at six months. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. The medication is available as a generic medication. In the United States, varenicline was prescribed over 1 million times in 2020, ranking as the 275th most commonly prescribed medication. Varenicline is indicated for use as an aid to smoking cessation treatment and for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Varenicline is used to help people stop smoking tobacco (smoking cessation). A meta-analysis found that 20% of people treated with varenicline remain abstinent from smoking at one year. In a 2009 meta-analysis, varenicline was found to be more effective than bupropion (odds ratio 1.40) and nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) (odds ratio 1.56). A 2013 Cochrane overview and network meta-analysis concluded that varenicline is the most effective medication for tobacco cessation and that smokers were nearly three times more likely to quit tobacco use while on varenicline than with placebo treatment. Varenicline was more efficacious than bupropion or NRT and as effective as combination NRT for cessation of tobacco smoking. Mild nausea is the most common side effect and is seen in approximately 30% of people taking varenicline, though this rarely (