Drug Discovery and Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Views
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Novel Nicotine Inhaler Doubles Smoking Quit Rates

By Drug Discovery Trends Editor | May 18, 2016

A study by researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington shows that smokers who used a nicotine inhaler were twice as likely to quit smoking as smokers using a placebo inhaler.

The researchers developed and tested a novel nicotine inhaler to see whether it helps smokers to quit smoking. Participants in the study were randomly assigned to receive either a nicotine inhaler plus a nicotine patch, or a placebo inhaler plus a nicotine patch.

The results of the New Zealand study funded by the Health Research Council have been published today in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

Study team leader Professor Julian Crane from the University of Otago, Wellington, said the findings are the first evidence that inhaled nicotine from a simple standard inhaler is highly effective and substantially increases a smoker’s chances of quitting compared to the best current nicotine replacement treatment.

“Currently most smokers use nicotine patches to help them stop smoking. This study shows that if you add a nicotine inhaler to a nicotine patch, it doubles the chances of quitting over a nicotine patch alone,” said Professor Crane.

Although there is considerable interest in the use of e-cigarettes to help smokers give up tobacco, many countries, including New Zealand, are hesitant to introduce these to the market especially as they are largely unregulated and untested.

“There is considerable debate about whether inhaled nicotine is helpful for people who wish to stop smoking,” said Professor Crane.

“This is the first study to show that inhaled nicotine from a metered dose inhaler in the context of a smoker wanting to stop doubles their chances of quitting.”

The nicotine inhaler gives a metered dose of nicotine and offers an alternative therapeutic option for inhaled nicotine using a standard device that has been used for many decades for treatment of asthma. 

“But unlike electronic cigarettes, the inhaler has no physical associations to smoking itself,” he said.

“It also has benefits in that it is much less likely to be used inappropriately to administer other drugs given that it is a completely sealed unit,” notes Professor Crane.

“New Zealand has been a world leader in tobacco control public policy and this new home-grown development offers a world-first opportunity to help the 80percent or more of smokers who want to quit achieve their aims,” he said.

The researchers are currently looking at how to make the inhaler available to all smokers who would like to use it.

Source: University of Otago


Filed Under: Drug Discovery

 

Related Articles Read More >

Swissmedic approves first malaria treatment for infants
Korean team reports all-in-one cancer nanomedicine in pre-clinical studies
Nektar’s Phase 2b atopic dermatitis win triggers 1,746% analyst target surge, but legal tussle with ex-partner Lilly could complicate path forward
Dupixent approved to treat bullous pemphigoid
“ddd
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest news and trends happening now in the drug discovery and development industry.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
Drug Discovery and Development
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • Medtech100 Index
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Medical Design & Outsourcing
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • R&D World
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Drug Discovery & Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Views
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE