A new smoking cessation drug

A new and big study found that cytisinicline (the chemical formerly known as cytisine) is an excellent drug to help smokers become non-smokers. This is a Pretty Big Deal because there hasn’t been a new smoking-cessation drug in 20 years.

Actually it’s not really new, as it’s been used in deepest, darkest Eastern Europe for years for this very purpose. But there wasn’t much formal research until now. (In fact, “the dose in Europe is 1.5 mg six times per day for 25 days. However, there is no known scientific basis for this dosage.”)

Regardless of the details, it works.

Cytisine reduces nicotine cravings and withdrawal by binding to the same brain receptors as nicotine, acting as a partial agonist and reducing withdrawal symptoms and nicotine cravings.

How good is it? About 20% of the people taking it for 12 weeks remained smoke-free after 24 weeks, and once you go that long without a hit, your odds of quitting altogether go way up.

Quietly at work

There was a story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution the other day, “Legislators, activists continue push to regulate drug pricing middlemen,” all about the building fight against PBMs.

It’s got plenty of info for laypeople about how PBMs work, why they’re making the healthcare system worse, and who’s looking to put the brakes on them. The important bit: GPhA worked behind the scenes, including an interview with the writer.

We’re working hard to fight the long-term battles to protect your profession — and that includes getting the word out. And we’re happy to do it!

There’s a middle ground somewhere

Instead of a knee-jerk reaction to drug price negotiations, it’s worth looking at the actual cost of those drugs — that’s cash out of your pockets and mine, after all.

In 2021, Medicare Part D covered about 3,500 drugs and spent about $48 billion.

Of those 3,500 meds, just 10 of them accounted for 22% of that spending.

That’s like finding out your space heater — Ol’ Sparky — is responsible for a quarter of your electric bill. It’s actually worse: One drug, Eliquis, accounted for 6% of all Part D spending.

Medicare will soon be able to negotiate the prices of a whopping 10 out of those 3,500 drugs. Eliquis may be one. Something to keep in mind.

Captain Obvious hands the mic to Lieutenant What the Heck

“Harvard Medical faces another lawsuit over stolen body parts.”

Drug cocktails reverse aging

Do you want to live forever? Do you want to learn how to fly (high)? Harvard Medical School researchers just made a breakthrough you’ll want to take note of: They found a way to reverse cellular aging, but with chemistry rather than gene editing.

The abstract from the paper was refreshingly clear:

We identify six chemical cocktails, which, in less than a week and without compromising cellular identity, restore a youthful genome-wide transcript profile and reverse transcriptomic age. Thus, rejuvenation by age reversal can be achieved, not only by genetic, but also chemical means.

And because it’s a chemical, i.e., a drug, this “offers the potential for lower costs and shorter timelines in development.” They’re already looking toward human trials, meaning this isn’t just in a Petri dish.

Short Takes

New Alzheimer’s rating system

Alzheimer’s experts are proposing a new eight-stage scale for rating how far along someone is with the disease. It goes from Stage 0 (asymptomatic but with abnormal biomarkers) to various levels of cognitive decline, with Stage 3 “roughly equivalent to the current presymptomatic stage known as mild cognitive impairment.”

With new treatments coming out, they think it’s time for a more granular and objective scale than something like “moderate impairment.”

Opill does more

Sure, the fact that America is about to get its first over-the-counter birth control pill. But, in a rare moment of positivity, the Atlantic explains that Opill is a lot more.

Americans will also be able to grab an over-the-counter treatment for their heavy periods, cramps, headaches, and even migraines; they’ll have prescription-free access to a drug for endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome; and they’ll be able to buy a medication that can mitigate the symptoms of menopause. It’s all in the same, progestin-based pill.