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| Stop Smoking America |
Question:
What research is being done in America to help poeple stop smoking?
Answer:
Major pharmaceutical companies and small startups see the potential for
billions of dollars in sales for a vaccine or a nicotine-free pill that
could end addiction at the chemical level for America's 50 million smokers.
In Connecticut, researchers at Pfizer Inc. identified a brain receptor that
nicotine binds to and designed a drug, varenicline, that latches to the same
site. Varenicline is in Phase III testing, normally the last step before a
company applies for approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Researchers hope that the drug will attach to nicotine receptors in the
brain, preventing overpowering cravings from setting in when someone stops
smoking.
The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis said it will ask for FDA
approval this year for the drug rimonabant, which it would market under the
name Acomplia as a way to help stop smoking and overeating.
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