Anti-smoking drug for COPD sufferers

Smokers with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a smoking-related illness that is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, may be able to quit smoking successfully with the use of a drug containing bupropion hydrochloride.

According to the results of a study published in the latest issue of the medical journal Lancet, bupropion hydrochloride SR is an effective and well-tolerated aid to smoking cessation in smokers with mild to moderate COPD.

Approximately 80 to 90 percent of all COPD cases are associated with smoking.

"All smokers should try to quit. However, COPD sufferers, in particular, should be encouraged by their physician to quit, as smoking cessation lessens the disease-related deterioration of lung function," said Dr. Donald Tashkin, author of the study and professor at the UCLA School of Medicine.

"Bupropion SR is the first oral nicotine-free, pharmacological treatment to help smokers with COPD quit smoking," he added.

The study, carried out in 11 centers around the United States, is the first published trial of a smoking cessation product in smokers with COPD.

A total of 404 smokers with mild to moderate COPD received either Bupropion SR or placebo for 12 weeks, and their progress was followed for six months.

Higher abstinence rates were found among patients receiving Bupropion SR compared to those receiving placebo.

Bupropion hydrochloride SR is marketed locally as Zyban and manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. It is available upon prescription at all leading drugstores nationwide.