"It sort of evens your out. You don't get necessarily the sort of highs of smoking, but you don't get the cravings and the withdrawal," Dr. Cheryl Oncken said. "Smoking addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease. Varenicline could potentially reduce cravings, ease withdrawal symptoms and even diminish pleasure from smoking." Dr. Karen Reeves, Executive Director, Clinical Development

“ These results suggest Chantix is a significant advancement” –Dr. Cheryl Oncken, a Chantix clinical investigator and associate professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

“Cigarette smoking is a very difficult habit to break, due in large part to nicotine dependence or addiction.” “Chantix therapy has proven to be effective in smokers motivated to quit and will provide another tool for physicians to use for the millions of smokers who want to quit” – Dr. Steven Galson, Director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

“We’re very excited about having this medication.” “For the first time in a long time, (we have) a new medication that is promising.” -Dr. Ayman Soubani, a pulmonologist who practices at the Karmanos Cancer Institute and DMC Harper University Hospital in Detroit.

“I’ve had more patients quit on this drug than any other cessation method” – Westerville internist Jacqueline Amico

Dr. Jim Allen, a lung specialist at the Ohio State University Medical Center, has prescribed Varenicline for about 60 patients and had a success rate of 25 to 30 percent. “I was hoping it would be more like 50 percent,” he said “but I have a hard-core group of smokers who are less likely to quit. I still think it is probably the best thing out there.”

“It’s a welcome new addition. It’s like with cancer or heart disease or high blood pressure or diabetes: the more effective treatments you have, the better off patients are.” – Dr. Steven Schroeder, a professor of medicine at the University of Caifornia, San Francisco, who is active in smoking cessation efforts.