Data from England's National Health Service are indicating that smokers seeking to quit in that nation are seeing comparatively good results with the medication Champix -- the drug marketed as Chantix in the United States, BBC News reported Aug. 21.

Yet the same concerns about the medication's safety that have led to scrutiny of the drug in the U.S. are an issue in England as well. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has received more than 200 reports of suicidal ideation in patients taking Champix, and the agency says there have been nearly 3,000 reports of adverse reactions overall.

Examining data from 2007-2008 in the aftermath of legislatively imposed restrictions on public smoking, the National Health Service found that Champix led to a stop-smoking rate of 63 percent at four weeks, compared to about a 50 percent rate for patients using nicotine replacement therapy.

Studies have suggested that twice-daily Champix therapy for 12 weeks led to 44 percent of smokers successfully quitting, compared with rates of 30 percent for patients taking the medication bupropion and 18 percent for patients receiving a placebo.

Health officials say one in seven people trying to quit smoking in England is using Champix, which has been available in the country since 2006.

The 2007-2008 data indicate a 13 percent increase in the number of smokers setting a quit date, as well as a 10 percent increase in the overall number of people able to stay off cigarettes at the four-week mark. "This shows that the investments that we are making in helping smokers to quit are having a positive impact," said health minister Ann Keen.