Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research is Participating in ORCA-3, a Phase 3 Clinical Research Study Evaluating an Investigational Smoking Cessation Therapy

Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research is enrolling eligible volunteers into ORCA-3, a U.S. Phase 3 clinical research study evaluating the safety and efficacy of cytisinicline, an investigational therapy for smoking cessation in adults who smoke ten or more cigarettes per day, intend to quit smoking and have failed at least one previous attempt to stop smoking with or without therapeutic support.

A recent report showed, in 2020, for the first time in twenty years, there was an increase in cigarette purchases[1]. Despite the clearly defined health risks associated with cigarette smoking, it is estimated that there are 34 million adults who are current cigarette smokers.[2] Prescription medication and counseling have been shown to improve quit rates yet are used by a minority of those trying to quit. Among the 68% of smokers who want to quit, less than 7% reported using counseling and only 29% reported using pharmacotherapy, and less than 5% used both.^[3]

Cytisinicline is a plant-based, naturally-occurring investigational compound that is structurally similar to nicotine and is believed to aid in smoking cessation by binding more specifically to a certain nicotinic receptor in the brain. This binding partially stimulates dopamine release, which reduces nicotine cravings and the severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. It also directly inhibits nicotine binding, reducing the satisfaction typically associated with smoking.

The FDA-approved non-nicotinic smoking cessation therapies, varenicline and bupropion, can improve rates of smoking cessation, but they are associated with troublesome side effects. Additional treatment options are needed if we are to help more people successfully quit smoking and reduce their smoking-related health risks. While the benefits of quitting cigarette smoking are well understood in both the medical and consumer communities, it is encouraged that cigarette smokers make quitting a resolution for 2022 and to speak with their health care providers about options that can help them succeed, including potential clinical trial participation when appropriate.

ORCA-3 is being conducted to learn more about the effectiveness and safety of 3.0 mg cytisinicline for 6 and 12 week study treatment periods in combination with behavioral support in people trying to quit cigarette smoking. The research will also assess the safety and tolerability of the study drug.

Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research is a clinical site participating in ORCA-3. The study is open to adults at least 18 years of age who currently smoke ten or more cigarettes per day, intend to quit smoking, and have failed at least one previous attempt to stop smoking with or without therapeutic support. Participants must be willing to set a quit date within 5-7 days of starting treatment and be willing to actively participate in the study’s smoking cessation behavioral support provided throughout the study.

If you or someone you know is interested in joining the study, please call 904-730-0166

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[1] Cigarette Report for 2020 – ftc.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/federal-trade-commission-cigarette-report-2020-smokeless-tobacco-report-2020/p114508fy20cigarettereport.pdf.

[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm. Updated November 18, 2019.

[3] Adams AJ and Hudmon KS. Pharmacist prescriptive authority for smoking cessation medications in the United States. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2018;58(3):253-257. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2017.12.015