A genetic variant present in nearly half of Americans of European ancestry is associated with greater effectiveness of the smoking cessation medicine bupropion (Zyban), as per research by researchers supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). People with this variant were less likely than those without it to have resumed smoking six months after therapy with bupropion.

The study, reported in the recent issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry, is a step toward the goal of being able to tailor smoking cessation therapy to individuals based on their unique genetic make-up.

"This study is part of our ongoing commitment to develop more accurate and personalized approaches to medicine," said NIH Director Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni. "This kind of genetic research is helping us to better understand why some people respond to certain smoking cessation therapys, and others don't."


Posted by: Justin234    Source

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