A market-research company is predicting that smoking cessation and addiction treatment products will become a $2.3-billion business by 2010, more than double its value in 2005.

Kalorama Information's report, Smoking Cessation and Addiction Treatments: A World Market Analysis, cites factors such as the size of the global smoking problem, growing public awareness, and the fact that worldwide health agencies have made smoking cessation a priority in making its prediction.

"We believe Pfizer's Chantix will acquire the largest share of the market, overtaking GlaxoSmithKline (Zyban) in smoking cessation, and leading all addiction treatments based on the superior effectiveness of Pfizer's product in clinical studies," said report author Melissa Elder. "To a more limited extent, new drugs in alcohol and substance abuse treatments will also change those markets."

In 2005, the smoking cessation/treatment market had an estimated worth of $1.1 billion. The products currently dominating the market are Zyban and Suboxone/Subetex, anti-opiate medications made by Schering-Plough/Reckitt Benckiser.