Monday, January 8, 2007

Study Will Test Antidepressant Patch That May Help Smokers Kick The Habit

ScienceDaily (Jan. 8, 2007) — Smokers trying to kick the habit face odds that only a bookie could love--just one in five succeeds in quitting. Stanford University School of Medicine researchers will test whether a new type of medication could help smokers quit and bolster their chances of staying smoke-free for good.

Researchers at the Stanford Prevention Research Center are looking for regular smokers to try a skin patch that delivers a medication used to treat depression. The drug, selegiline, could help smokers combat the cravings they feel when they try to quit, said study leader Joel Killen, PhD, professor of medicine.

The medication, which is marketed under the name Emsam, is produced by Somerset Pharmaceuticals and Bristol-Meyers Squibb. The Food and Drug Administration approved the patch as an antidepressant treatment in February 2006.

The study seeks smokers between the ages of 18 and 65 who are interested in quitting, said Killen. Participants will wear a patch on their skin that delivers either selegiline or a placebo. Participants put on a new patch each day for eight weeks while trying to quit smoking.

Click here to read entire article at Science Daily.com