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Smoking cessation therapy varenicline tartrate (Champix; Pfizer) is now available again in the UK, having previously been withdrawn from the market, Pfizer has announced.
Varenicline, a nicotine receptor partial agonist taken as a daily pill, is a prescription-only medicine for adults. In October 2021, Pfizer recalled Champix owing to the presence of unacceptable levels of nitrosamine compound N-nitroso-varenicline, a probable human carcinogen.
In May 2024, Pfizer said it intended to resupply the medicine, but said this would not happen until at least the end of 2024. However, in November 2024 it was announced that generic varenicline was being made available in England, following a deal with the generic’s manufacturer, Teva.
In a press release issued on 30 June 2025, Pfizer said that Champix was available again for prescription by GPs and independent prescriber pharmacists.
The press release added that the medicine had been temporarily withdrawn in 2021 “out of an abundance of caution”, but that it had “taken steps to address the presence of nitrosamines in Champix, including lowering the levels to meet regulatory requirements”.
“The active ingredient in Champix has not been altered,” it said.
“Prior to resuming supply, Pfizer has conducted rigorous and comprehensive testing that has confirmed it meets all regulatory requirements set by regulatory agencies.”
Berkeley Phillips, UK medical director at Pfizer, said: “Although smoking rates in the UK have been declining, the rate of decline has slowed in many areas and in some parts of the country we are seeing an increase.
“There remains significant untapped potential in smoking cessation efforts as many smokers attempting to quit do not take full advantage of evidence-based support.”
Commenting on the resupply of Champix, Nick Hopkinson, medical director at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Stop smoking medications like varenicline are an effective way to help stop smoking and an important part of the resources available to people trying to quit.”
He added that smokers are three times more likely to quit smoking successfully if they have “a combination of counselling support and treatment to help relieve cravings and break tobacco dependence”.
“Smoking cessation services actually save the NHS money but should be paid for by a polluter pays levy on the tobacco industry which continues to make massive profits off harming people with no penalty,” he added.
Darush Attar-Zadeh, clinical fellow respiratory pharmacist at North West London Integrated Care Board, identified two possible effects of Champix’s return.
“Two clear advantages are the simple, easy-to-understand dosing on the packaging, which benefits both patients and clinicians, and the familiarity it offers to patients who have used it before,” he said.
“On the downside, according to the DM+D [NHS Business Services Authority dictionary of medicines and devices], it is slightly more expensive for the NHS than the generic, which is concerning at a time when we are striving to deliver effective treatments as cost-efficiently as possible.”
Although varenicline is only licensed for smoking cessation in adults, results of a study published in April 2025 suggested that varenicline could also be used in vaping cessation among young people aged 16–25 years.
