Generic varenicline will be offered to “tens of thousands” of smokers every year to help them quit, NHS England announced today three years after Champix was taken off the market over safety concerns.  

NHSE revealed this morning (November 12) that with Teva UK’s new generic version receiving the MHRA’s safety approval, the drug – which blocks the effect of nicotine on the brain and helps counter withdrawal symptoms – could be offered to over 85,000 people each year.

The health service has partnered with Teva UK to roll out the drug three years after Pfizer’s Champix was withdrawn over concerns it contained unacceptably high levels of an impurity called N-nitroso-varenicline, which is a probable carcinogen. 

It claimed the move could prevent up to 9,500 smoking-related deaths over a five-year period while supporting its goals to save £500m for taxpayers, providing “far greater” savings than Champix, which was found in 2018 to save £1.65 for every £1 spent due to disease prevention. 

“When used alongside behavioural support such as counselling, the treatment has been shown to help around one in four people to stop smoking for at least six months,” said NHSE, adding that around £2.5bn is spent each year on treating smoking-related health issues. 

Smokers will be able to self-refer to pharmacy and council-led stop smoking services via the NHS Better Health website.  

NHSE chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “Alongside supporting the Government’s ambition to create the first smoke-free generation, we are giving current smokers the tools they need to quit – with proven treatments like this, alongside specialist care, helping to save thousands of lives and the NHS millions of pounds in treatment costs.” 

Asthma + Lung UK’s Henry Gregg commented: “A new stop smoking pill to help people quit smoking is a welcome move. While the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will protect younger generations from the harms caused by this deadly addiction, the hundreds of thousands of current smokers who want help to give up must also be supported.

“It is incredibly difficult to quit smoking without help.” 

While health secretary Wes Streeting said that alongside Labour’s tobacco and vapes bill, the varenicline announcement showed that “Government and NHS are building a healthy society to help power a healthy economy”.