US Clinical Trial Finds
"Varenicline Triples Smoking Cessation Success Rate Compared to Placebo"
A new study has found that varenicline, the active ingredient in the adult smoking cessation medication Champix, also helps adolescents quit e-cigarettes.
On April 24, a research team led by Dr. A. Eden Evins at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that, in a randomized clinical trial involving more than 260 adolescents and young adults in the United States, the group receiving varenicline was three times more likely to successfully quit e-cigarettes compared to the placebo group.
The researchers recruited 261 e-cigarette users aged 16 to 25 and randomly assigned them to one of three groups: the varenicline group (weekly behavioral counseling and text support), the placebo group (weekly behavioral counseling and text support), and the text-only group (text support only). Varenicline, approved as a smoking cessation medication for adults and the active ingredient in Champix, works by binding to nicotine receptors, blocking nicotine from attaching, and reducing the pleasurable taste experienced when smoking.
The varenicline group (88 participants) received 1 mg of varenicline twice daily for 12 weeks, along with weekly counseling and e-cigarette cessation text support. During the same period, the placebo group (87 participants) received placebo medication, counseling, and text support, while the text-only group (86 participants) received only text support. Participants reported their e-cigarette abstinence status weekly, which was confirmed by cotinine saliva tests. Each group was monitored for smoking cessation for three months after the 12-week treatment period.
The Korea No Smoking Advertisement Record Exhibition held at the Seoul Metro Museum inside Gyeongbokgung Station, Jongno-gu. Photo by Asia Economy
As a result, after 12 weeks of treatment, 51% of the varenicline group had stopped using e-cigarettes, compared to 14% in the placebo group and 6% in the text-only group. Twelve weeks after the end of the clinical trial, the abstinence rates were 28% for the varenicline group, 7% for the placebo group, and 4% for the text-only group, confirming that the varenicline group maintained a much higher rate of continued abstinence.
The research team highlighted that, as e-cigarettes have become increasingly popular as a tobacco alternative, about one in four adolescents and young adults aged 18 to 25 in 2023, and about 8% of high school students in 2024, were found to be using e-cigarettes. They emphasized that e-cigarettes pose many health risks, including nicotine addiction, exposure to carcinogens and heavy metals, and lung inflammation. Therefore, it is important to seek appropriate treatments to provide safe and effective ways to quit.
The researchers explained that the finding that the varenicline group achieved a smoking cessation success rate three times higher than the placebo group demonstrates the importance of pharmacological treatment for quitting e-cigarettes. They also noted that varenicline is already approved as a smoking cessation medication for adults and can be prescribed to anyone aged 16 to 25. Co-researcher Dr. Randy Schuster added that not only was varenicline effective for quitting, but none of the participants who quit e-cigarettes switched to regular cigarettes. This indicates that varenicline is both effective and safe for helping adolescents addicted to e-cigarette nicotine to quit.
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