Smoking Cessation News and Research

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Ramius/RP Group extend tender offer to acquire Cypress Bioscience

Ramius V&O Acquisition LLC, affiliates of Ramius LLC (collectively, "Ramius") and affiliates of Royalty Pharma (together with Ramius and Purchaser, the "Ramius/RP Group") announced today that the Ramius/RP Group is extending its previously announced tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Cypress Bioscience, Inc., a pharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative drugs to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders, until Midnight, January 5, 2011, unless the offer is otherwise extended.

22 Dec 2010

Smoking can increase pain severity in cancer patients

The relationship between smoking and cancer is well established. In a study published in the January 2011 issue of PAIN, researchers report evidence to suggest that cancer patients who continue to smoke despite their diagnosis experience greater pain than nonsmokers.

22 Dec 2010

Recent study finds racial and ethnic minority smokers of menthol cigarettes have lower quit rate

Menthol cigarettes may be harder to quit, particularly for some teens and African-Americans, who have the highest menthol cigarette use, according to a study by a team of researchers.

21 Dec 2010

Motivational interviewing may not be an ideal treatment choice for smoking-cessation

Motivational interviewing, a popular counseling technique for many addictive behaviors, might not be the ideal treatment choice for those who smoke cigarettes.

21 Dec 2010

e-cigarettes – Debate rages around globe

Following misleading advice that ‘e-cigarettes’ are a “healthy way” to quit smoking, thousands of smokers are switching to these electronic cigarettes. According to the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and anti-smoking groups these smokeless, battery-powered e-cigarettes packed with nicotine have not been tested for safety and could pose a serious health risk. Electronic cigarettes contain an inhaler, an atomiser and nicotine suspended in propylene glycol and water. At present they are banned in NSW and Victoria but overseas suppliers sell them online.

12 Dec 2010

Smoking cessation products available on PBS

Australia’s federal government has announced that it will subsidize the cost of nicotine patches to help smokers quit. The announcement was made by Health Minister Nicola Roxon on Thursday who said that concession card holders would be able to access Nicorette, Nicabate P and Nicotinell under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from February 1, 2011. She said, “Cancer scars the lives of too many Australians and we know that reducing the smoking rate is one of the most effective ways to reduce the rate of death from this terrible disease.” Anti-smoking drug Varenicline (Champix) would also be available for willing quitters.

8 Dec 2010

Integrating smoking cessation treatment with mental health care improves abstinence rates in PTSD veterans

Among smokers with military-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), integrating smoking cessation treatment with mental health care for PTSD resulted in higher rates of prolonged smoking abstinence, compared to referral for assistance with quitting smoking, according to a study in the December 8 issue of JAMA.

8 Dec 2010

Zogenix, Desitin receive MAA approval for SUMAVEL DosePro needle-free delivery system in Denmark

Aradigm Corporation today announced that Zogenix, Inc. and Desitin Pharmaceuticals GmbH ("Desitin") were granted approval of the Marketing Authorization Application ("MAA") for SUMAVEL® DosePro™ (sumatriptan injection) needle-free delivery system by the Danish Medicines Agency of Denmark.

7 Dec 2010

Smoking is common among young adults and children with diabetes, raises risk of heart disease

Cigarette smoking is widespread among children and young adults with diabetes yet few health care providers are counseling children and young adults with diabetes to not smoke or stop smoking, according to a new report from the SEARCH Study Group, published online in the Journal of Pediatrics.

7 Dec 2010

Major depression reduces success rate of quitting smoking

Depressed smokers want to quit the nicotine habit just as much as non-depressed smokers, but a new study suggests that depression can put a kink in their success.

7 Dec 2010

Quit smoking to lift mood: Study

The latest research has shown that quitting smoking not only helps ease depression, but also increases the level of happiness. Researchers at Brown University studied 236 men and women in total who were trying to quite smoking. They looked at physical as well as mental impact of kicking the habit on these people.

5 Dec 2010

Research reveals tricyclic anti-depressants increase risk of CVD

Research that followed nearly 15,000 people in Scotland has shown that a class of older generation anti-depressant is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study showed that tricyclic anti-depressants were associated with a 35% increased risk of CVD, but that there was no increased risk with the newer anti-depressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

1 Dec 2010

First Edition: November 30, 2010

Today's headlines include reports on congressional action on the Medicare doc 'pay fix' as well as results from a new poll related to how the public thinks Medicare should be addressed in the context of deficit reduction.

30 Nov 2010

More women are dying of lung cancer in UK

New research shows that the rates of lung cancer in women have risen and this could be a sign that efforts to persuade them to quit smoking have failed. The cases among men have fallen on the other hand.

29 Nov 2010

Queenslanders fatter but live longer and smoke less: Health report

A new health report reveals that more than 60 per cent of Queensland adults are overweight or obese. The Health of Queenslanders report also reveals that Queenslanders are living longer and smoking less.

29 Nov 2010

UMDNJ researchers develop comprehensive strategy for recovery from smoking addiction

Researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), following 10 years of studying tobacco use among smokers with mental illness, have developed a comprehensive strategy for recovery from smoking addiction that could serve as a nationwide model.

25 Nov 2010

New Colorectal Cancer Screening program in Quebec

On behalf of the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada, I would like to thank Minister Bolduc and the Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux for taking the first steps to implement the Colorectal Cancer Screening program in Quebec.

24 Nov 2010

African American cigarette smokers at higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis

A new study determined that African Americans who smoke cigarettes have a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA risk is more pronounced among individuals positive for the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope, a genetic risk factor for RA. Findings from this study—the largest to date examining the impact of smoking on RA risk in an African American population—are available in the December issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

23 Nov 2010

Health groups urge restrictions on tobacco additives

Following five days of deliberations aimed at fleshing-out the so-called Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, delegates on Saturday approved a proposal to limit the use of tobacco additives, which critics say improve the flavor of cigarettes, encouraging consumers to smoke more, Reuters reports.

23 Nov 2010

Parties to WHO FCTC strengthen tobacco-control efforts worldwide

Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) unanimously adopted a number of decisions this week strengthening tobacco-control efforts worldwide.

22 Nov 2010