Nicobrevin anti-smoking preparation withdrawn from the market
Risks of Nicobrevin outweigh any benefits.
Article date: May 2011
The Commission on Human Medicines and its Pharmacovigilance Expert Advisory Group considered a review of the risks and benefits of Nicobrevin—a multi-ingredient antismoking preparation containing quinine, menthyl valerate, camphor, and eucalyptus oil. The Commission noted the lack of evidence for efficacy of Nicobrevin as an aid to smoking cessation and the association of quinine and camphor with adverse reactions. Furthermore, none of the antismoking organisations recommend Nicobrevin as an aid to cessation.
The Commission advised that the risks of Nicobrevin outweigh any benefits, and use of an unproven antismoking preparation could delay or deter patients from seeking effective smoking-cessation treatments. Therefore, Nicobrevin has been withdrawn from the UK market. The product licence was cancelled on Jan 31, 2011; UK distribution ceased at the end of August 2010. Various smoking-cessation treatments are available, for further details see link below.
Further information
Stop-smoking treatments; a UK Public Assessment Report on the withdrawal is also available on this webpage (scroll down to ‘Other information’ at the bottom of the page)
BNF section 4.10.2 Nicotine dependence Article citation: Drug Safety Update May 2011, vol 4 issue 10: O1.