A drug that stimulates dopamine production as well as blocking nicotine receptors in the brain is currently undergoing a priority review at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (DFA), Eureka Alert reported May 3.

The review of varenicline began in late 2005, said Dr. Jonathan Foulds of the Tobacco Dependence Program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. "Trials carried out so far have yielded promising results, suggesting that varenicline could be a major advance in the treatment of nicotine dependence," he said. "Drugs are normally earmarked for priority review by the FDA if they are felt to address health needs that are not currently being adequately met. What makes varenicline different to existing medication is that it is the first treatment specifically designed to target the neurobiological mechanism of nicotine dependence."

Foulds recently conducted a review of previous studies on the effectiveness of stop-smoking therapies and found that, overall, about 18 percent of participants are abstinent after one year, compared to 10 percent of those receiving placebos. Success rates for those receiving drugs like bupropion, nortriptyline and clonidine ranged from 14.6 percent to 24.9 percent.

The review was published in the May 2006 issue of the International Journal of Clinical Practice.