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| |  Zyban (Bupropion) Promising In Helping Smokeless Tobacco Users Quit CHICAGO, IL -- August 7, 2000 -- Data presented at the 11th World Congress on Tobacco or Health evaluated the use of Zyban (bupropion HCl) Sustained Release 150 mg Tablets as a cessation aid for users of smokeless tobacco. Zyban is indicated as an aid to smoking cessation treatment in smokers 18 years and older; it is not indicated for treating smokeless tobacco addiction. Approximately 12 million people in the U.S. use smokeless tobacco and annual consumption of smokeless tobacco has tripled since the 1970s. Smokeless tobacco contains at least 28 known cancer-causing chemicals and the addictive drug nicotine. "Although not as widespread as cigarette smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco is increasing, especially among youth," said Elbert Glover, Ph.D., Director of the Tobacco Research Center at West Virginia University. In this 12-week study, Dr. Glover evaluated Zyban in smokeless tobacco users who had averaged at least one-half can of moist snuff per day for the past year. Seventy smokeless tobacco users were randomized to one of two treatment groups (35 patients in each group), either Zyban or a sugar pill, also known as a placebo, for seven weeks of treatment. Patients took Zyban once daily for the first three days, then twice daily thereafter. At the end of seven weeks, 49 percent of the patients treated with Zyban had not used tobacco for the previous four weeks versus 26 percent in the placebo group. At three months, 40 percent of the patients on Zyban had still not used tobacco versus 26 percent of the placebo patients. The three-month figures were not statistically significant. Quit rates in clinical trials are influenced by the population selected and may be lower in an unselected population. The data in this study may be of interest to those smokeless tobacco users who are trying to quit. The effect of bupropion SR for smokeless tobacco cessation has not thoroughly been evaluated. Further study is necessary to determine conclusively the short-term and long-term effect of bupropion SR as a cessation aid for smokeless tobacco. Zyban should only be taken as directed by a doctor. The most common side effects associated with Zyban are dry mouth and insomnia. The most common side effects observed in this study were dry mouth (zero placebo; four active), cold (10 placebo; three active), and heartburn (zero placebo; three active). The use of bupropion is associated with a dose-dependent risk of seizure. Therefore, higher than recommended doses should not be prescribed and Zyban should not be used in people who are already taking Wellbutrin®, or Wellbutrin SR®, or any other medications containing bupropion. Zyban should be used with extreme caution in patients with severe liver disease; in these patients, a reduced frequency of dosing may be required. Zyban should also not be used in patients who have or have had a seizure disorder or who have a history of or are currently diagnosed with bulimia or anorexia nervosa. It should also not be used in people who are taking or have recently taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAO-I). It is important that patients tell their healthcare professionals about all medicines they are taking -- prescription or over-the-counter. Related Link: Zyban (bupropion HCl).
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