Exploring Predictors of Treatment Response to GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for Smoking Cessation

Understanding predictors of smoking cessation medication efficacy facilitates the ability to enhance treatment effectiveness. In our pilot trial, exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, adjunct to nicotine patch improved smoking abstinence compared to nicotine patch alone. This secondary analysis explores potential baseline characteristics associated with differential treatment response to exenatide.

The parent trial randomized (1:1) 84 smokers with prediabetes and/or overweight to once-weekly placebo or exenatide, 2 mg, subcutaneously. All participants received nicotine patch (21 mg) and brief smoking cessation counseling, with biologically confirmed 7-day point prevalence abstinence at week 6 (end-of-treatment) deemed the primary outcome. Bayesian generalized linear modeling explored differential response to treatment as a function of baseline patient characteristics, including demographic, psychosocial, clinical, smoking-related, and genetic factors. Posterior probability (PP) ≥ 75% that an effect exists was taken as a minimum threshold of evidence in favor of model effects.

Exenatide showed stronger benefit versus placebo in participants who smoked >20 cigarettes per day (PP = 81.7%) and in those without prediabetes (PP = 76.0%) or obesity (PP = 94.4%). Exenatide's efficacy was observed only in individuals with no/minimal depression symptoms but not in those with symptoms (PP = 91.2%). Finally, exenatide was more efficacious than placebo only in those with the CHRNA rs16969968 GG genotype (PP = 88.6%).

The effect of exenatide on abstinence may be moderated by the number of cigarettes smoked daily, metabolic, psychological, and genetic factors. Larger prospective investigations are needed to confirm and extend these findings.

Understanding predictors of smoking cessation medication efficacy enhances the ability to improve treatment effectiveness. In our pilot trial, extended-release exenatide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, adjunct to nicotine patch, improved smoking abstinence in smokers with prediabetes and/or overweight. The current post-hoc analysis found that the effect of exenatide on smoking abstinence may be moderated by the number of cigarettes smoked daily, metabolic, psychological, and genetic factors. Larger investigations are needed to confirm and extend these findings.