P&U's Nicotrol Inhaler Launched In USA

Pharmacia & Upjohn's new nicotine product, Nicotrol Inhaler, has beenapproved and launched in the USA, to help smokers quit the habit. The company says it is the first product to provide smokers with a hand-to-mouth administration, which may satisfy some of the "ritual" elements of smoking, as well as supplying nicotine to alleviate craving.

Pivotal trials have shown that compared to a placebo, Nicotrol Inhaler doubled the likelihood that a smoker would remain abstinent for a year.

The product will be available on prescription in the USA. It is already sold over-the-counter in Denmark, Sweden and Italy, and has OTC applications pending in five other countries, including the UK. Prescription sale is approved in the Netherlands, while applications are pending in five other countries. P&U also markets patch and nasal spray formulations.