Soviet-era pill from Bulgaria helps smokers quit (cheap)

[kpete]

Source: Forbes

Associated Press
Soviet-era pill from Bulgaria helps smokers quit
By MARIA CHENG , 09.29.11, 08:47 AM EDT

LONDON -- A pill developed in Bulgaria during the Soviet era shows promise for helping millions of smokers cheaply and safely kick the habit, the first big study of it shows.

It could become a new weapon to combat smoking in poor countries, but it is unclear whether it will ever reach the market in the U.S. or Western Europe.

The drug, cytisine, is now used just in Eastern Europe, where smokers usually take the pill for three or four weeks. Generic versions cost as little as $5 to $17 a month, compared with about $100 for an eight-week supply of nicotine patches or about $300 for a 12-week supply of Pfizer Inc. ( PFE - news - people )'s Chantix pill - common treatments in rich countries to help smokers quit.

Cytisine "is so cheap that even in developing countries, if you can afford to smoke, you can afford to stop," said Dr. Robert West of University College London. He led the study, published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

Read more: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/09/29/business-health-care-financial-impact-eu-quit-smoking-drug_8707341.html

[Maine_Nurse]

1. Hmm, well Pfizer will buy the US rights, spend $10 mil on FDA testing, then charge $500 per month.nt

[unkachuck]

2. Are the capitalists about to steal that fine Soviet technology again?

"A pill developed in Bulgaria during the Soviet era shows promise for helping millions of smokers cheaply and safely kick the habit..."

"...but it is unclear whether it will ever reach the market in the U.S..."

....and it'll remain unclear until the capitalists determine how they can charge "...about $100 for an eight-week supply of nicotine patches or about $300 for a 12-week supply..."

....another prime example of capitalists profiting from their creation of a problem then profiting from it's solution....above all, we must profit!

[Tunkamerica]

3. can buy it here. 30$ with shipping

http://www.ecrater.com/p/2142474/quitting-smoking-tabex

[TheWraith]

4. Increasing the 12 month abstinence rate from 2.4 percent to 8 percent. Not exactly a miracle drug.

Particularly when you consider that the way it works is basically by replacing nicotine as your body's alkaloid of choice.

[SoapBox]

5. Pharma will never let it be offered cheap in the U.S.

...every place else in the world but they will price gouge the crap out of Americans.

[provis99]

6. Soviet? Hmm, does it make you grow hair in uncomfortable places?

Looking at the East German women atheletes from the 80's, I wonder...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. Or:

[4_TN_TITANS]

8. damn... look at that package.

I guess they did drug them up enough that things began to develop.