Varenicline improves quit rates among African American daily smokers

Researchers at the University of Kansas Cancer Center have published the results of a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of varenicline in African Americans. In their study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association[1], African-American daily smokers given varenicline combined with professional counseling sessions achieved significantly higher smoking cessation rates than those given a placebo[2].

African Americans have been underrepresented in tobacco treatment research, including in the clinical trials that led to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval in 2006 of varenicline, the leading pharmacological treatment for smoking cessation known by the brand name Champix. At the same time, African Americans have higher rates of smoking-related illness and death, despite consuming fewer cigarettes per day on average than white Americans.

Chances of quitting almost tripled with varenicline

This varenicline study included 500 adults who identified as African American or Black. They were 18 years of age or older, daily smokers (at least one cigarette per day), and interested in quitting. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either varenicline or placebo for 12 weeks, plus six sessions of smoking cessation counseling, regardless of group assignment. The study followed all participants for up to six months after the intervention and assessed self-reported abstinence verified by saliva samples.

The study showed that after six months, 16% of the smokers who took varenicline in addition to receiving counseling were still abstinent, while only 7% of the smokers who received a placebo and counseling had managed to quit smoking. After 12 weeks, the difference was even greater: 19% of the smokers taking varenicline were abstinent compared to 7% in the placebo group.

A treatment adapted for “light” smokers

The difference in smoking cessation rates between the varenicline group and the placebo group was particularly pronounced for “light” smokers (fewer than 10 cigarettes per day) compared to heavy smokers. At the end of week 12, 22 % of the “light” smokers who received varenicline were still abstinent, compared to 9 % among the “light” smokers in the placebo group, demonstrating that the drug may be useful for this type of smoking profile.

Keywords: Varenicline, smoking cessation, treatments, nicotine, African Americans

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Cox LS, Nollen NL, Mayo MS, et al. Effect of Varenicline Added to Counseling on Smoking Cessation Among African American Daily Smokers: The Kick It at Swope IV Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2022;327(22):2201–2209. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.8274

[2] Varenicline improves quit rates among African American daily smokers, News Medical, published June 14, 2022, accessed June 16, 2022