For the first time since 2021, a pill used to help people quit smoking – varenicline – will again be available on the NHS.
Varenicline is one of the most effective ways to quit smoking and is deemed an “essential medicine” by the World Health Organization.
Varenicline, is a once-a-day pill that was first available in 2007. It was withdrawn in 2021 after testing revealed higher-than-permitted impurities in certain batches.
These impurities are called nitrosamines and are in food, drink and medicines, but are not allowed to be over a certain level in these products. This is because animal testing has indicated that nitrosamines could be linked to cancer in humans if they are exposed above certain levels over long periods.
Now, a new version of varenicline has been approved for use by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency........