varenicline
English
editEtymology
editFrom vare- (of unknown origin) + -nicline (“nicotinic cholinergic receptor agonist”).
Pronunciation
edit- (General American) IPA(key): /vəˈɹɛn.ɪk.lɪn/
Noun
editvarenicline (uncountable)
- (pharmacology) A drug taken orally in the form of its tartrate C13H13N3·C4H6O6 as an aid to stop smoking. It binds to nicotinic cell receptors to block the activity of nicotine while also acting as an agonist to reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It is marketed under the trademark Chantix.
- 2010, Stephen Fry, The Fry Chronicles:
- Farewell Zyban, hello Champix, Pfizer's name for a new compound called varenicline, which is not an anti-depressant but a ‘nicotine receptor partial agonist’.
Derived terms
editReferences
edit- “varenicline”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.