Cytisine is an alkaloid that is found naturally in several plant genera such as Laburnum and Cytisus of the family Fabaceae. Recent studies have shown it to be a more effective and significantly more affordable smoking cessation treatment than nicotine replacement therapy. Also known as baptitoxine or sophorine, cytisine has been used as a smoking cessation treatment since 1964, and is relatively unknown in regions outside of central and Eastern Europe. Cytisine is a partial nicotinic acetylcholine agonist with a half-life of 4.8 hours. Recent Phase III clinical trials using Tabex (a brand of Cytisine marketed by Sopharma AD) have shown similar efficacy to varenicline, but at a fraction of the cost.

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