Pre-cessation varenicline treatment vs post-cessation NRT: an uneven playing field.

The study by Aubin et al 1 published in this issue is significant in that it is the first head-to-head comparison of the two smoking cessation pharmacotherapies: varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). The results suggest that varenicline yielded higher rates of smoking abstinence than NRT. However, an important flaw in the design hampers the interpretation of the results. An imbalance resulted from the fact that the varenicline group began treatment …