GlaxoSmithKline says it is stepping up public relations efforts to tell consumers that its OTC smoking cessation products are not linked to problems reported with Pfizer's Rx drug Chantix .

GSK, with an OTC portfolio that includes Nicorette gum, NicoDerm patchesand Commit lozenges, announced June 25 that an April survey it sponsored found reports of problems with Chantix made some smokers less likely to quit.

The results also indicated two-thirds of the smokers surveyed incorrectly identified an OTC nicotine replacement therapy product as related to FDA's report on Chantix.

FDA warned in February that use of Chantix has been linked to psychiatric adverse events (¹ 'The Tan Sheet' Feb. 4, 2008, In Brief).

Spokeswoman Jennifer May says GSK is educating consumers "to differentiate that nicotine replacement therapy is not part of the safety news."

May said the public relations campaign is aimed at reinforcing the safety and efficacy of GSK's NRT products.

She said GSK already offers free "face-to-face counseling" at entertainment and sporting events to people who want to quit smoking and an ongoing behavior support program to consumers using its NRT products.

GSK has enlisted help in the campaign from Michael Roizen, chairman of the Wellness Institute of the Cleveland Clinic and founder of RealAge, Inc., which provides health and wellness information to consumers.

"The news has unnecessarily fueled misconceptions about other medications that are proven safe and effective," Roizen says in GSK's release.

NRTs Take Hit In Survey

Results of the survey conducted by Richard Day Research indicate some consumers have not distinguished between Chantix and FDA-approved, nonprescription NRTs, according to GSK.

GSK says the survey found that 31 percent of 500 smokers who were aware of FDA's Chantix report said the information affected their decision to quit or caused them to put off quitting, and 48 percent of them said they would not use NRTs.

"I think it shows that consumers are lumping all smoking cessation aids into the safety news and are not initiating quit attempts and not using medication, which is concerning because products like nicotine replacement therapy can double your chances of success," May said.

She said the survey was intended to determine how smokers reacted to the Chantix report. The dominant message from the results is "people are not initiating quit attempts," May noted.

Additionally, while GSK will boost spending for its September NRT ad campaign, the increase was planned before the Chantix safety concerns were reported, she said.

There are no plans to change the ad campaign to include consumer education on distinguishing the differences between Chantix and GSK's products.

Impact On Sales

According to GSK's data, its NRT product sales declined 8 percent from August 2007 to January 2008, but the decline slowed to 1 percent from February through April 2008.

May said Pfizer's launch of Chantix in 2007 took market share away from GSK's NRT products. "Anytime there is a new product out on the market, you'll see a decline in sales," she said.

However, GSK made a play for market share following the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to ban pilots from using Chantix. The firm offered one free 48-count carton of Commit to all licensed commercial and private pilots through June 30 (² 'The Tan Sheet' May 26, 2008, In Brief).

FAA's decision came after the nonprofit Institute for Safe Medication Practices used FDA adverse event data to find potential risks for Chantix, including heart arrhythmias, seizures, diabetes, skin reactions and vision disturbances, in addition to known psychiatric side-effects.

- Katie Stevenson (k.stevenson@elsevier.com)

GSK Lights Fire Under Educating Consumers On Smoking Cessation OTCs

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