A Smoking Cessation Trial with Lobeline Sulfate: A Pilot Study 

Elbert D. Glover, PhD; Scott J. Leischow, PhD; Stephen I. Rennard, MD; Penny N. Glover, MEd, CCRC; David Daughton, MS; John N. Quiring, PhD; F. Howard Schneider, PhD; Peter J. Mione, MS 
 

Objective: To evaluate a sublingual formulation of lobeline sulfate for smoking cessation. Methods: Random assignment of 180 healthy smokers to treatment (n=90) or placebo (n=90). Treatment was self-administering a 7.5 mg lobeline sulfate sublingual or placebo tablet 9 times per day for 6 weeks. Results: No difference in cessation efficacy between placebo and active treatment. Among highly dependent smokers who completed the trial, there was a trend for higher cessation rates in the active group. Conclusion: This pilot study failed to demonstrate smoking-cessation efficacy. However, data suggest continued studies to evaluate lobeline sulfate for smoking cessation.