Pharmacogenetics of Nicotine Addiction Treatment

Summary

The purpose of this research program is to understand how a biomarker called the "nicotine metabolite ratio" (also referred to as NMR) may influence a smoker's ability to quit smoking.

Timeline

Start

2010-12

Primary completion

2013-12

Completion

2014-09

Publications

• Tonkin SS, Betts JM, Dowd AN, Mahoney MC, Cinciripini PM, Schnoll RA, George TP, Tyndale RF, Hawk LW Jr. Daily Cigarette Abstinence and Smoking Rate With Varenicline: Relationships With Treatment, Craving, and Affect During the First Week of the Quit Attempt. Nicotine Tob Res. 2025 Nov 23;27(12):2328-2332. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntaf095.
• Chenoweth MJ, Kim YJ, Nollen NL, Hawk LW Jr, Mahoney MC, Lerman C, Knight J, Tyndale RF. Genetic Prediction of Smoking Cessation Medication Side Effects: A Genome-Wide Investigation of Abnormal Dreams on Varenicline. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2024 Jun;115(6):1277-1281. doi: 10.1002/cpt.3210. Epub 2024 Feb 19.
• Chenoweth MJ, Lerman C, Knight J, Tyndale RF. Influence of CYP2A6 Genetic Variation, Nicotine Dependence Severity, and Treatment on Smoking Cessation Success. Nicotine Tob Res. 2023 May 22;25(6):1207-1211. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntac268.
• Tonkin SS, Colder C, Mahoney MC, Swan GE, Cinciripini P, Schnoll R, George TP, Tyndale RF, Hawk LW. Evaluating Treatment Mechanisms of Varenicline: Mediation by Affect and Craving. Nicotine Tob Res. 2022 Oct 26;24(11):1803-1810. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntac138.
• Chenoweth MJ, Lerman C, Knight J, Tyndale RF. A Genome-Wide Association Study of Nausea Incidence in Varenicline-Treated Cigarette Smokers. Nicotine Tob Res. 2021 Aug 29;23(10):1805-1809. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntab044.
• El-Boraie A, Chenoweth MJ, Pouget JG, Benowitz NL, Fukunaga K, Mushiroda T, Kubo M, Nollen NL, Sanderson Cox L, Lerman C, Knight J, Tyndale RF. Transferability of Ancestry-Specific and Cross-Ancestry CYP2A6 Activity Genetic Risk Scores in African and European Populations. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2021 Oct;110(4):975-985. doi: 10.1002/cpt.2135. Epub 2021 Jan 1.
• Peng AR, Swardfager W, Benowitz NL, Ahluwalia JS, Lerman C, Nollen NL, Tyndale RF. Impact of early nausea on varenicline adherence and smoking cessation. Addiction. 2020 Jan;115(1):134-144. doi: 10.1111/add.14810. Epub 2019 Nov 5.
• Ashare RL, Thompson M, Leone F, Metzger D, Gross R, Mounzer K, Tyndale RF, Lerman C, Mahoney MC, Cinciripini P, George TP, Collman RG, Schnoll R. Differences in the rate of nicotine metabolism among smokers with and without HIV. AIDS. 2019 May 1;33(6):1083-1088. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000002127.
• Robinson JD, Li L, Chen M, Lerman C, Tyndale RF, Schnoll RA, Hawk LW, George TP, Benowitz NL, Cinciripini PM. Evaluating the temporal relationships between withdrawal symptoms and smoking relapse. Psychol Addict Behav. 2019 Mar;33(2):105-116. doi: 10.1037/adb0000434. Epub 2019 Jan 7.
• Peng AR, Schnoll R, Hawk LW Jr, Cinciripini P, George TP, Lerman C, Tyndale RF. Predicting smoking abstinence with biological and self-report measures of adherence to varenicline: Impact on pharmacogenetic trial outcomes. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2018 Sep 1;190:72-81. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.04.035. Epub 2018 Jun 26.
• Hamilton DA, Mahoney MC, Novalen M, Chenoweth MJ, Heitjan DF, Lerman C, Tyndale RF, Hawk LW Jr. Test-Retest Reliability and Stability of the Nicotine Metabolite Ratio Among Treatment-Seeking Smokers. Nicotine Tob Res. 2015 Dec;17(12):1505-9. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntv031. Epub 2015 Mar 1.
• Lerman C, Schnoll RA, Hawk LW Jr, Cinciripini P, George TP, Wileyto EP, Swan GE, Benowitz NL, Heitjan DF, Tyndale RF; PGRN-PNAT Research Group. Use of the nicotine metabolite ratio as a genetically informed biomarker of response to nicotine patch or varenicline for smoking cessation: a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Respir Med. 2015 Feb;3(2):131-138. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(14)70294-2. Epub 2015 Jan 12.
• Chenoweth MJ, Novalen M, Hawk LW Jr, Schnoll RA, George TP, Cinciripini PM, Lerman C, Tyndale RF. Known and novel sources of variability in the nicotine metabolite ratio in a large sample of treatment-seeking smokers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2014 Sep;23(9):1773-82. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0427. Epub 2014 Jul 10.

Drugs

Indications