NicoDerm, also known as
NicoDerm CQ (short for Committed Quit or Committed Quitter) is a branded over the counter
palliativePalliative care is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of disease symptoms, rather than striving to halt, delay, or reverse progression of the disease itself or provide a cure. The goal is to prevent and relieve suffering and to improve quality of life...
nicotine replacement therapyNicotine replacement therapy ' is the use of various forms of nicotine delivery methods intended to replace nicotine obtained from smoking or other tobacco usage. These products are marketed for use in smoking cessation efforts to help deal with withdrawal symptoms and cravings caused by the loss...
which is used to ameliorate the
withdrawalWithdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and/or alcohol...
effects involved in quitting
smoking Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the vapors either tasted or inhaled. The practice began as early as 5000–3000 BC. Many civilizations burnt incense during religious rituals, which was later adopted for pleasure or as a social tool. Tobacco was introduced to the old world...
. Unfortunately, when compared to other methods of
smoking cessationSmoking cessation is the process of discontinuing the practice of inhaling a smoked substance, mainly tobacco, but it may encompass cannabis or other substances.- Treatment for smoking related constipation :...
, the NicoDerm product has proven to provide only slight benefit.
Alternative brand names include Prostep, Habitrol,
NiQuitinNiQuitin is a range of nicotine replacement products that helps smokers stop by replacing the nicotine supplied by cigarettes with a lower, steadier level that helps relieve withdrawal. The therapeutic nicotine in NiQuitin effectively reduces nicotine cravings. This lets users wean off nicotine...
, Nicotrol,
NicoretteNicorette is the brand name of a pharmaceutical preparation that contains nicotine for the treatment of tobacco dependence. Nicorette was the first medicinal preparation to facilitate smoking cessation....
, and Commit.
NicoDerm is manufactured by
ALZAAlza Corporation is a pharmaceutical and medical systems company founded in 1968 by Dr Alejandro Zaffaroni; the company's name is a portmanteau of his name. Alza pioneered the field of drug delivery systems, bringing over 20 prescription pharmaceutical products to market, and employing about...
Corporation, based in
Mountain View, CaliforniaMountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city gets its name from the views of the Santa Cruz Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 70,708.-Geography:...
.
NicoDerm, also known as
NicoDerm CQ (short for Committed Quit or Committed Quitter) is a branded over the counter
palliativePalliative care is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of disease symptoms, rather than striving to halt, delay, or reverse progression of the disease itself or provide a cure. The goal is to prevent and relieve suffering and to improve quality of life...
nicotine replacement therapyNicotine replacement therapy ' is the use of various forms of nicotine delivery methods intended to replace nicotine obtained from smoking or other tobacco usage. These products are marketed for use in smoking cessation efforts to help deal with withdrawal symptoms and cravings caused by the loss...
which is used to ameliorate the
withdrawalWithdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and/or alcohol...
effects involved in quitting
smoking Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the vapors either tasted or inhaled. The practice began as early as 5000–3000 BC. Many civilizations burnt incense during religious rituals, which was later adopted for pleasure or as a social tool. Tobacco was introduced to the old world...
. Unfortunately, when compared to other methods of
smoking cessationSmoking cessation is the process of discontinuing the practice of inhaling a smoked substance, mainly tobacco, but it may encompass cannabis or other substances.- Treatment for smoking related constipation :...
, the NicoDerm product has proven to provide only slight benefit.
Alternative brand names include Prostep, Habitrol,
NiQuitinNiQuitin is a range of nicotine replacement products that helps smokers stop by replacing the nicotine supplied by cigarettes with a lower, steadier level that helps relieve withdrawal. The therapeutic nicotine in NiQuitin effectively reduces nicotine cravings. This lets users wean off nicotine...
, Nicotrol,
NicoretteNicorette is the brand name of a pharmaceutical preparation that contains nicotine for the treatment of tobacco dependence. Nicorette was the first medicinal preparation to facilitate smoking cessation....
, and Commit.
History
NicoDerm is manufactured by
ALZAAlza Corporation is a pharmaceutical and medical systems company founded in 1968 by Dr Alejandro Zaffaroni; the company's name is a portmanteau of his name. Alza pioneered the field of drug delivery systems, bringing over 20 prescription pharmaceutical products to market, and employing about...
Corporation, based in
Mountain View, CaliforniaMountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city gets its name from the views of the Santa Cruz Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 70,708.-Geography:...
. It is marketed by
GlaxoSmithKline GlaxoSmithKline plc is a United Kingdom-based pharmaceutical, biological, and healthcare company. GSK is the world's second largest pharmaceutical company and a research-based company with a wide portfolio of pharmaceutical products covering anti-infectives, central nervous system, respiratory,...
(GSK),
AventisAventis was a pharmaceutical and lab assay testing company. It was formed in 1999 when Rhône-Poulenc S.A. merged with Hoechst AG. The merged company was based in Strasbourg, France. With its headquarters in Strasbourg, Aventis was the product of the first transnational merger to combine large...
and
PfizerPfizer Incorporated is a pharmaceutical company, ranking number one in sales in the world. The company is based in New York City, with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut...
.
NicoDerm was approved by the
FDAThe Food and Drug Administration is a Government agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for regulating and supervising the safety of foods, tobacco products, dietary supplements, Medication drugs, vaccines, Biopharmaceutical, blood transfusion,...
in 1991, touted as the original "nicotine transdermal system."
NicoDerm was the second product to provide an alternative to the withdrawal symptoms of quitting smoking. Nicotine gums, such as
PfizerPfizer Incorporated is a pharmaceutical company, ranking number one in sales in the world. The company is based in New York City, with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut...
's Nicotrol gum (still available in New Zealand) were already quite popular with consumers.
Shortly after NicoDerm's release, Clear NicoDerm was released, as some users complained about the patch's inability to match a wide variety of skin colors. Over the past several years, NicoDerm has become the most popular topical nicotine alternative.
Also shortly after NicoDerm's release, many other pharmaceutical companies began releasing many nicotine replacement therapies, such as Nicotrol, which for a time encompassed Pfizer's entire line of products, including
Nicotine gumNicotine gum is a type of chewing gum that delivers nicotine to the body. It is used as an aid in smoking cessation and in quitting smokeless tobacco. The nicotine is delivered to the bloodstream via absorption by the tissues of the mouth....
,
lozengeA lozenge , often referred to as a diamond, is a form of rhombus. The definition of lozenge is not strictly fixed, and it is sometimes used simply as a synonym for rhombus. Most often, though, lozenge refers to a thin rhombus—a rhombus with acute angles of 45°...
s,
inhalerAn inhaler or puffer is a medical device used for delivering medication into the body via the lungs. It is mainly used in the treatment of asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ....
s and nasal sprays. Of the Pfizer line of products, the Nicotrol inhaler and nasal spray are the only two products that appear to still be in production. Nicotrol Gum is still available cheaply in New Zealand.
Functioning
Unlike
adhesive bandageAn adhesive bandage is a small dressing used for injuries not serious enough to require a full-size bandage.-Function:The...
s, transdermal patches generally use a solid plastic backing, occasionally with a fabric covering on the outside to look like an adhesive bandage. Transdermal patches also use a much stronger adhesive, allowing them to maintain their hold without having to wrap around to themselves, be covered or taped.
Like any other transdermal patches currently available on the market, NicoDerm's adhesive also mediates the release of the medication through the skin.
NicoDerm comes in 3 different variations ranging from 7 mg to 21 mg. The main difference between each level is not the amount of nicotine placed between the backing and the adhesive, but the size of the patch. This is due to the nature of the adhesive. For the adhesive to maintain its hold properly, the consistency of it must remain the same, thereby allowing only a specific amount of nicotine.
Nicoderm's box stated, "Use it 16 hours or 24 hours--You decide!".