Nicoderm
NicoDerm, also known as NicoDerm CQ (short for Committed Quit or Committed Quitter) is a branded over the counter palliative nicotine replacement therapy which is used to ameliorate the withdrawal effects involved in quitting smoking.
Alternative brand names include Prostep®, Habitrol®, NiQuitin®, Nicotrol®, Nicorette, and Commit®.
History
NicoDerm is manufactured by ALZA Corporation, based in Mountain View, California. It is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Aventis and Pfizer.
NicoDerm was approved by the FDA 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 Pfizer's Nicotrol gum (no longer in production) 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 gum, lozenges, inhalers 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.
Functioning
Unlike adhesive bandages, topical patches generally use a solid plastic backing, occasionally with a fabric covering on the outside to look like an adhesive bandage. Topical 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 topical patch currently available on the market right now, 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 through.