Use of Varenicline for 4-weeks Prior to Quitting - Full Text View

Purpose

Varenicline (Champix) is a relatively new medicine that is effective in helping people to quit smoking. It is normally started 1-week before stopping smoking and used for up to 12-24 weeks. We are trying to find out if using varenicline for an extended time (4-weeks) before stopping smoking is better than the standard 1-week of use prior to stopping.

The study will recruit 100 smokers who want to stop. They will be randomly allocated to receive varenicline(4−weeks) or placebo (3−weeks followed by 1−week of active treatment as indicated by standard prescribing practice), followed by a 12−week open label treatment period where all participants will receive varenicline.

Condition	Intervention	Phase
Tobacco Dependence Smoking Cessation	Drug: Varenicline Drug: Placebo	Phase 3

Study Type:	Interventional
Study Design:	Allocation: Randomized Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title:	Effects of an Extended Period of Varenicline Use Prior to Quitting Smoking on Post-quitting Urges to Smoke

Resource links provided by NLM:

MedlinePlus related topics: Quitting Smoking Smoking

Drug Information available for: Varenicline Varenicline tartrate

U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by Queen Mary University of London:

Primary Outcome Measures:

Rating of Urges to Smoke 24 Hours and One Week After the Target Quit Date Assessed by Mood and Physical Symptoms Scale [ Time Frame: 24 hours and 7 days after quit date (week 4) ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
The scale measures tobacco withdrawal symptoms (depressed, irritable, restless, hungry, poor concentration, slept worse than usual) on 5-point scales from Not at all (rated as 1) to Extremely (rated as 5). It also asks 'How much of the time have you felt the urge to smoke in the last week? and 'How strong have these urges been?'; both rated on 6-point scales with higher numbers=higher craving.

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Change in Pre-quit End-expired Carbon Monoxide Reading (CO) [ Time Frame: Baseline - week 8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Carbon monoxide concentration is measured in particles per million. It indicates smoke intake.

CO was measured at each contact to monitor changes in smoke intake and differences between the study arms.
Change in Pre-quit Cotinine Levels [ Time Frame: Weeks 1-4 (the first 4-weeks after first medication dose) ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Differences in baseline cotinine levels were compared with cotinine levels measured 4 weeks after taking the first medication dose.
Change in Pre-quit Ratings of Cigarette Satisfaction [ Time Frame: Baseline - week 4 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Satisfaction measured on a scale of 1-5; "Have you found your cigarettes more or less enjoyable than usual in the last week?" 1= much more and 5 = much less
Change in Pre-quit Cigarette Consumption [ Time Frame: Baseline - week 4 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Participants reported average number of cigarettes smoked per day every week throughout the four week pre-quit period.
Change in MPSS Scores of Urges to Smoke and Cigarette Withdrawal Symptoms Throughout the First Four Weeks of Abstinence [ Time Frame: Week 4 - 8 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Change in the Mood and Physical Symptoms Scale (MPSS)*, scores of urges to smoke and cigarette withdrawal symptoms throughout the first four weeks of abstinence (measured weekly from weeks 4-8).

* The MPSS measures cigarette withdrawal symptoms. The scale is 1-5, 1 being not at all and 5 being extremely (depressed, irritable, restless, hungry, poor concentration, slept worse than usual).

Enrollment:	101
Study Start Date:	July 2009
Study Completion Date:	March 2010
Primary Completion Date:	December 2009 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Arms	Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Varenicline pre-treatmemt Participants will use varenicline (1mg BD) 4-weeks prior to quitting	Drug: Varenicline Varenicline 1mg twice daily Other Name: Champix
Placebo Comparator: Placebo Participants will use 3 weeks of placebo, followed by 1 week of varenicline, prior to quitting	Drug: Varenicline Varenicline 1mg twice daily Other Name: Champix Drug: Placebo Placebo 1mg BD

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:	18 Years and older
Genders Eligible for Study:	Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:	Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Smokers seeking treatment
Aged 18 and over
Consenting to take part in the trial

Exclusion Criteria:

Pregnant or breastfeeding
End-stage renal disease
Used varenicline in the past 6 months
Unable to fill in questionnaires in English
Current psychiatric illness
Current serious illness including uncontrolled hypertension and recent cardiac event
Sensitivity to varenicline currently enrolled in other research projects.

Contacts and Locations

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00789074

Locations

United Kingdom
Tobacco Dependence Research and Treatment Unit
London, United Kingdom, E1 2JH

Sponsors and Collaborators

Queen Mary University of London

Investigators

Principal Investigator:

Al-Rehan A A Dhanji, MB BS BSc MRCP

Queen Mary University of London

More Information

No publications provided by Queen Mary University of London

Additional publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):

Hajek P, McRobbie HJ, Myers KE, Stapleton J, Dhanji AR. Use of varenicline for 4 weeks before quitting smoking: decrease in ad lib smoking and increase in smoking cessation rates. Arch Intern Med. 2011 Apr 25;171(8):770-7.

Responsible Party:	Professor Peter Hajek, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Queen Mary University of London
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00789074 History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers:	qmul120508
Study First Received:	November 7, 2008
Results First Received:	August 4, 2011
Last Updated:	May 21, 2012
Health Authority:	United Kingdom: Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency United Kingdom: Research Ethics Committee

Keywords provided by Queen Mary University of London:

Smoking cessation
Tobacco dependence
Varenicline
Preloading

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Smoking
Tobacco Use Disorder
Habits
Substance-Related Disorders
Mental Disorders
Varenicline
Nicotinic Agonists

Cholinergic Agonists
Cholinergic Agents
Neurotransmitter Agents
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Pharmacologic Actions
Physiological Effects of Drugs

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 23, 2013