Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Memantine for Smoking Cessation (CCCWFU 99311)

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Oncology
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Smoking cessation is difficult, necessitating novel pharmacotherapies.
• Memantine, an Alzheimer's drug, targets N-methyl-D-Aspartate receptors (NMDARs) and may influence nicotine reward pathways.
• Cancer survivors who smoke face unique challenges in quitting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of memantine for smoking cessation in cancer survivors.
• To assess memantine's impact on nicotine dependence, craving, and adverse events.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 130 cancer survivors who currently smoked.
• Participants received either 10 mg memantine or placebo twice daily for 12 weeks.
• Outcomes included smoking abstinence, nicotine dependence, toxicity, and adverse events.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in 12-week smoking abstinence rates between memantine and placebo groups.
• Therapy completion was lower in the memantine group (42%) compared to placebo (63%).
• Memantine group showed trends towards reduced anxiety, craving, and hunger, with no significant toxicity differences.

Conclusions:

• Memantine did not demonstrate efficacy in improving smoking abstinence rates among cancer survivors.
• Further research into other NMDAR antagonists may be warranted, but memantine is not recommended for smoking cessation in this population.