Latest news with #cytisinicline
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ACHV: Achieve's Busy Day
By John Vandermosten, CFA NASDAQ:ACHV READ THE FULL ACHV RESEARCH REPORT Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACHV) posted a flurry of press releases last week announcing the submission of its new drug application (NDA), a partnership with Omnicom for cytisinicline commercialization, a proposed public offering and the pricing of the offering. The capital raise was closed on June 30th. This is the culmination of more than a decade of work developing cytisinicline for smoking cessation. Now that the development phase of cytisinicline for smoking cessation is coming to a close, we look towards the regulatory and commercialization phases. We expect to see the FDA formally accept the NDA by late August and Achieve's management team to turn its attention towards the sales effort. Assuming normal turnaround times, we expect the FDA to set a target action date sometime in 2Q:26. NDA Submission Achieve announced its NDA submission of cytisinicline for smoking cessation in a June 26th press release. The company conducted two Phase III studies, an open label safety study and other studies that evaluated over 2,000 participants with the results demonstrating the safety, efficacy and tolerability of cytisinicline. We expect to see acceptance of the NDA within 60 days and further expect additional safety data from the ongoing ORCA-OL trial to be shared with the agency near year end. Commercialization Partnership Now that the new drug application has been submitted, Achieve is further advancing its commercialization efforts. During its earnings calls, the company has outlined its commercialization strategy and is now partnering with Omnicom Group to execute the plan. Omnicom Group provides brand and advertising services to thousands of clients globally and is one of the world's largest advertising and marketing services companies. Achieve will work with Omnicom subsidiary Credera, which is focused on digital transformation services. Credera combines consulting, artificial intelligence (AI) and technology expertise to build consumer technology platforms, integrate marketing technology systems and provide strategic consulting services. It will help Achieve to precisely target and engage healthcare professionals and patients through optimization of channel performance and acceleration of meaningful engagement. The team executing the initiative will include Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, DDB Health, and Ketchum Health which are health care-focused subsidiaries of the Omnicom marketing group. The various subsidiaries will provide expertise in consumer brand development, medical education and strategic public relations and communications, applying industry insights to support cytisinicline launch. In the Achieve partnership, Ketchum Health brings public relations and communications expertise, while Credera handles technology, Goodby Silverstein provides creative advertising, and DDB Health focuses on healthcare marketing. The partnership will use generative AI, predictive analytics and social listening to enhance targeting and personalization. Using a comprehensive approach, it will also employ healthcare applications, pharmacies and data providers to expand the reach and depth of insights. Omnicom has worked as media agency, digital and brand experience for other pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients including established firms such as AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Novartis and Moderna among others. Achieve will be the first small company that Omnicom has supported in commercializing a newly approved drug. Therefore, Omnicom will take on a broader strategic role than in its past partnerships. The Omnicom team will help communicate the optimal message to the provider and patient and monitor its effectiveness in real time. This will allow for rapid course corrections and focus on high value activities. Achieve has identified several target groups for its marketing efforts that are stratified by age, social media use and other demographic data. It was able to identify these groups based on subject experiences in the company's many clinical trials. We anticipate that the structure of Achieve's internal marketing team will be heavily tilted toward supporting the digital campaign with contract representatives available for in-person physician meetings when appropriate. Public Offering On June 30th, 2025 Achieve closed its $45 million capital raise. 15 million shares were issued at $3.00, each of which included an attached warrant exercisable at $3.00 per share. An additional 1,766,666 warrants were issued upon the partial exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares, bringing total issued warrants to approximately 16.8 million. Net proceeds from the capital raise are estimated to be $41.3 million as disclosed in the June 27th Form 8-K filing. ORCA-OL Safety Trial Achieve began 2025 by announcing that 300 participants had completed six months of treatment in the Ongoing Research of Cytisinicline for Addiction Program, Open Label (ORCA-OL) trial. The Data Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC) identified no safety concerns as of this milestone allowing registrational filing with the FDA. As of May 2025, a third DSMC safety review was completed which also found no unexpected treatment-related adverse events. As of the first quarter reporting date, more than 100 subjects had completed one year of cytisinicline treatment. Furthermore, about 75% of the 479 (~360) individuals remained on treatment in the trial. We think that it is a material real-world positive that so many participants would remain on a smoking cessation product for that long a period suggesting that cytisinicline is well tolerated. This is particularly notable given the high discontinuation rates for Chantix and the associated unpleasant side effects such as nausea, headache, abnormal dreams and constipation.[1] Achieve expects to complete the one-year safety data package in the next few months and will submit this to the FDA by the 120-day safety review milestone. This should be around year-end 2025. Achieve expects that it will far exceed the 100-patient minimum required for one year of safety observations and could see as many as 300 patients with one year of exposure. Since one of the secondary endpoints is efficacy, this study should be able to show a wealth of data that can help providers use cytisinicline more effectively especially in chronic areas of disease such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and cardiology. Milestones Development of cytisinicline product label for smoking cessation – 1H:25 Completion of six months of ORCA-OL safety data for 300 subjects – January 2025 Attendance at Oppenheimer Healthcare Life Sciences Conference, Virtual – February 2025 Attendance at Barclays Healthcare Conference, Miami – March 2025 Selection of 3rd party logistics partner – 2Q:25 NDA Submission – 2Q:25 FDA data submission from patients with twelve months of exposure to cytisinicline – 4Q:25 Launch of Phase III vaping trial – 1H:26 FDA target action date for cytisinicline NDA – 1H:26 Launch of cytisinicline – 3Q:26 SUBSCRIBE TO ZACKS SMALL CAP RESEARCH to receive our articles and reports emailed directly to you each morning. Please visit our for additional information on Zacks SCR. DISCLOSURE: Zacks SCR has received compensation from the issuer directly, from an investment manager, or from an investor relations consulting firm, engaged by the issuer, for providing research coverage for a period of no less than one year. Research articles, as seen here, are part of the service Zacks SCR provides and Zacks SCR receives quarterly payments totaling a maximum fee of up to $40,000 annually for these services provided to or regarding the issuer. Full Disclaimer . ________________________ [1] Minian, N., et al. Identifying determinants of varenicline adherence using the Theoretical Domains framework: a rapid review. BMC Public Health. March 2024.
Forbes
05-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Smoking Cessation Aid Cytisinicline Could Soon Get FDA Approval
There are multiple smoking cessation products on the market. But there hasn't been a new approval of ... More a pharmacotherapy without nicotine in nearly 20 years. This could change soon, as cytisinicline was submitted to the FDA for approval on June 26, 2025. More than two-thirds of American smokers say they want to quit. However, besides nicotine replacement therapies, there are at present only two smoking cessation drugs without nicotine that are authorized for marketing by the Food and Drug Administration. This could change soon, as the pharmaceutical firm Achieve Life Sciences submitted to the FDA a new drug application last week for its prescription medicine, cytisinicline, also known as cytisine. The agency will review the medication's efficacy, safety, and tolerability profile based on evidence from two large, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trials. The substance is a naturally occurring plant-based alkaloid that selectively binds to nicotinic receptors in the brain. In turn, this can help alleviate nicotine cravings and reduce withdrawal symptoms, among smokers of combustible cigarettes as well as e-cigarettes (vaping). Cytisinicline has been used as a smoking cessation product for decades in some Central and Eastern European countries. It was approved by the British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in March 2019, though only available commercially in the United Kingdom since January 2024. Cytisinicline hasn't yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency. The Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine published results from one of two Phase 3 trials evaluating cytisinicline for smoking cessation. The authors' conclusions reaffirmed cytisinicline's efficacy and tolerability for smoking cessation in adult smokers at both 6- and 12-week treatment durations, including reduction in nicotine cravings and extended cessation benefits through 24 weeks. Additionally, a study published in 2024 suggested cytisinicline could be effective for e-cigarette cessation. Owing to its mechanism of action as a way to reduce nicotine dependence, it's possible that cytisinicline could be beneficial for individuals using nicotine pouches who wish to stop, though this hasn't yet been examined specifically. Based on a technology assessment of the benefits and costs of cytisinicline, the British cost-effectiveness watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, recommended earlier this year adding the drug to the National Health Service as a treatment option for smoking cessation. And this week, the American Institute for Clinical and Economic Review announced it is conducting an evidence review to assess the clinical effectiveness of cytisinicline together with behavior support. The evaluation will include comparisons with other existing smoking cessation products. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths annually in the U.S. The major causes of death associated with smoking include cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks; cancers, among which lung, pancreatic, esophageal, bladder, colorectal and renal; and pulmonary conditions such as chronic obstructive lung disease, pneumonia and bronchitis. Last October, the FDA and the National Institutes of Health convened a public meeting to address the urgency for developing novel smoking cessation products to assist individuals of all ages, including underserved and vulnerable populations, to stop smoking. There is unmet need in this space, reflected in the fact that of the 15 million who tried to quit smoking in 2022, five in six failed, according to STAT News. Experts cite a lack of sufficiently effective smoking cessation drugs. Should cytisinicline become available in the U.S. it could represent an important option for those who wish to quit their nicotine habit. At the same time, it will continue to be critical for healthcare providers and public health authorities to raise awareness around the importance of smoking cessation and prevention, provide behavior support (counseling) and offer treatment alternatives people can use to quit. The U.S. has made real progress since the 1960s in reducing cigarette smoking, mainly through effective public health campaigns. Yet there's still a lot more work to do as roughly 29 million adults smoke combustible cigarettes and approximately 17 million use e-cigarettes. But under the Trump administration the Department of Health and Human Services has cut funding for smoking cessation and prevention programs, as well as eliminated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Office on Smoking and Health. While the CDC says it will continue to provide resources for those who wish to quit smoking while conducting ongoing surveillance, experts warn that cuts in services could limit access, which could then result in a resurgence in smoking rates.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Achieve Life Sciences Announces Closing of Public Offering of Common Stock and Partial Exercise of Underwriters' Option to Purchase Additional Securities
SEATTLE and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACHV), a late-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the global development and commercialization of cytisinicline as a treatment of nicotine dependence for smoking cessation, today announced the closing of its underwritten public offering of 15,000,000 shares of its common stock and accompanying common warrants to purchase up to 16,766,666 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $3.00 per share and accompanying warrant, which includes common warrants to purchase up to 1,766,666 shares issued upon the partial exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares of common stock and/or accompanying warrants. The gross proceeds from the offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, were $45.0 million. Achieve intends to use the proceeds from the offering to fund continued advancement of cytisinicline through potential U.S. Food and Drug Administration marketing approval of cytisinicline and for working capital and general corporate purposes. Citizens Capital Markets and Raymond James acted as the joint book-running managers in the offering. Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC acted as financial advisor to Achieve in the offering. The securities were offered by Achieve pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-3 previously filed and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to this offering have been filed with the SEC. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained from: Citizens Capital Markets, at 450 Park Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by calling (415) 835-8985, or by email at syndicate@ and Raymond James at Equity Syndicate, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716, by telephone at (800) 248-8863, or by email at prospectus@ Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus are also available on the website of the SEC at This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of Achieve, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. Achieve Life Sciences is a late-stage specialty pharmaceutical company committed to addressing the global smoking health and nicotine dependence epidemic through the development and commercialization of cytisinicline. In June 2025, the company submitted its New Drug Application to the FDA for cytisinicline as a treatment of nicotine dependence for smoking cessation in adults, based on two successfully completed Phase 3 studies and its fully enrolled open-label safety study. Additionally, the company has completed a Phase 2 study with cytisinicline in vaping cessation and conducted a successful end-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA for a future vaping indication. About CytisiniclineThere are approximately 29 million adults in the United States who smoke combustible cigarettes.1 Tobacco use is currently the leading cause of preventable death that is responsible for more than eight million deaths worldwide and nearly half a million deaths in the United States annually.2,3 More than 87% of lung cancer deaths, 61% of all pulmonary disease deaths, and 32% of all deaths from coronary heart disease are attributable to smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.3 In addition, there are approximately 17 million adults in the United States who use e-cigarettes, also known as vaping.4 In 2024, approximately 1.6 million middle and high school students in the United States reported using e-cigarettes.5 There are no FDA-approved treatments indicated specifically as an aid to nicotine e-cigarette cessation. Cytisinicline has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA to address this critical need. Cytisinicline is a plant-based alkaloid with a high binding affinity to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. It is believed to aid in treating nicotine addiction for smoking and e-cigarette cessation by interacting with nicotine receptors in the brain, reducing the severity of nicotine craving symptoms, and reducing the reward and satisfaction associated with nicotine products. Cytisinicline is an investigational product candidate being developed as a treatment of nicotine dependence for smoking cessation and has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for any indication in the United States. Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the 'safe harbor' provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements Achieve makes regarding its expectation of market conditions and use of proceeds, the timing and nature of cytisinicline clinical development and regulatory review and approval, data results and commercialization activities, the potential market size for cytisinicline, the potential benefits, efficacy, safety and tolerability of cytisinicline, the development and effectiveness of new treatments, and the successful commercialization of cytisinicline. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Achieve may not actually achieve its plans or product development goals in a timely manner, if at all, or otherwise carry out its intentions or meet its expectations or projections disclosed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including Achieve's Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Achieve undertakes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein or to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof, other than as may be required by applicable law. Investor Relations ContactNicole Jonesir@ 686-1510 References1VanFrank B, Malarcher A, Cornelius ME, Schecter A, Jamal A, Tynan M. Adult Smoking Cessation — United States, 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:633–641.2World Health Organization. WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2017.3U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking – 50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014.4Vahratian A, Briones EM, Jamal A, Marynak KL. Electronic cigarette use among adults in the United States, 2019–2023. NCHS Data Brief, no 524. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2025. DOI: 10.15620/cdc/174583.5Jamal A, Park-Lee E, Birdsey J, et al. Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students — National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2024. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:917–924.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Achieve Life Sciences Announces Pricing of $45.0 Million Underwritten Public Offering
SEATTLE and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACHV), a late-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the global development and commercialization of cytisinicline as a treatment of nicotine dependence for smoking cessation, today announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 15,000,000 shares of its common stock and accompanying common warrants to purchase up to 15,000,000 shares of common stock. The shares of common stock and accompanying common warrants were offered collectively at a price to the public of $3.00 per share and accompanying common warrant. Achieve has also granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,250,000 shares of common stock and/or accompanying common warrants to purchase up to an additional 2,250,000 shares of common stock (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof) in connection with the public offering. Each common warrant will be exercisable, at the purchaser's election, for either common stock at an exercise price of $3.00 per share or for pre-funded warrants, with an exercise price of $2.999 per pre-funded warrant. Such common stock warrants are exercisable any time after the date of issuance, subject to certain ownership limitations, and will expire five years from the date of issuance. All of the securities are being offered by Achieve. The offering is expected to close on or about June 30, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Citizens Capital Markets and Raymond James are acting as the joint book-running managers in the offering. Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC is acting as financial advisor to Achieve in the offering. The aggregate gross proceeds from this offering are expected to be approximately $45.0 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by Achieve. Achieve intends to use the proceeds from the offering to fund continued advancement of cytisinicline through potential U.S. Food and Drug Administration marketing approval of cytisinicline and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The securities are being offered by Achieve pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-3 previously filed and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A final prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to and describing the terms of the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC's website at Copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus may also be obtained, when available, from: Citizens Capital Markets, at 450 Park Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by calling (415) 835-8985, or by email at syndicate@ and Raymond James at Equity Syndicate, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716, by telephone at (800) 248-8863, or by email at prospectus@ This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of Achieve, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. Achieve Life Sciences is a late-stage specialty pharmaceutical company committed to addressing the global smoking health and nicotine dependence epidemic through the development and commercialization of cytisinicline. In June 2025, the company submitted its New Drug Application to the FDA for cytisinicline as a treatment of nicotine dependence for smoking cessation in adults, based on two successfully completed Phase 3 studies and its fully enrolled open-label safety study. Additionally, the company has completed a Phase 2 study with cytisinicline in vaping cessation and conducted a successful end-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA for a future vaping indication. About CytisiniclineThere are approximately 29 million adults in the United States who smoke combustible cigarettes.1 Tobacco use is currently the leading cause of preventable death that is responsible for more than eight million deaths worldwide and nearly half a million deaths in the United States annually.2,3 More than 87% of lung cancer deaths, 61% of all pulmonary disease deaths, and 32% of all deaths from coronary heart disease are attributable to smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.3 In addition, there are approximately 17 million adults in the United States who use e-cigarettes, also known as vaping.4 In 2024, approximately 1.6 million middle and high school students in the United States reported using e-cigarettes.5 There are no FDA-approved treatments indicated specifically as an aid to nicotine e-cigarette cessation. Cytisinicline has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA to address this critical need. Cytisinicline is a plant-based alkaloid with a high binding affinity to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. It is believed to aid in treating nicotine addiction for smoking and e-cigarette cessation by interacting with nicotine receptors in the brain, reducing the severity of nicotine craving symptoms, and reducing the reward and satisfaction associated with nicotine products. Cytisinicline is an investigational product candidate being developed as a treatment of nicotine dependence for smoking cessation and has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for any indication in the United States. Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the 'safe harbor' provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the timing, size and expected gross proceeds of the offering, the expected use of the proceeds, the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the offering and sale of securities, Achieve's ability to complete the offering, the timing and nature of cytisinicline clinical development and regulatory review and approval, data results and commercialization activities, the potential market size for cytisinicline, the potential benefits, efficacy, safety and tolerability of cytisinicline, the development and effectiveness of new treatments, and the successful commercialization of cytisinicline. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Achieve may not actually achieve its plans or product development goals in a timely manner, if at all, or otherwise carry out its intentions or meet its expectations or projections disclosed in these forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance regarding the completion of this offering. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, , including those risks described in the risk factors set forth in Achieve's Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Achieve undertakes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein or to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof, other than as may be required by applicable law. Investor Relations ContactNicole Jonesir@ 686-1510 References1VanFrank B, Malarcher A, Cornelius ME, Schecter A, Jamal A, Tynan M. Adult Smoking Cessation — United States, 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:633–641.2World Health Organization. WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2017.3U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking – 50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014.4Vahratian A, Briones EM, Jamal A, Marynak KL. Electronic cigarette use among adults in the United States, 2019–2023. NCHS Data Brief, no 524. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2025. DOI: 10.15620/cdc/174583.5Jamal A, Park-Lee E, Birdsey J, et al. Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students — National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2024. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:917–924.
