Archive 1995–2023

Cytisine is an alkaloid of plant origin known in the health service for over fifty years, having agonistic properties to cholinergic nicotinic receptors. In the recent years, a few interesting results of studies on cytisine that aroused scientists and physicans interest in the drug have been published. The first part of the paper describes the new data, particulary concerning the pharmacodynamics of cytisine, which constitutes a strong indication to the treatment of nicotine addiction and maybe other disorders and diseases. In the further part of the paper the most characteristic results of central and peripheral action of cytisine are discussed. The initial results of clinical studies confirm the efficacy of cytisine comparable with the efficacy of bupropion, the drug used as first-line pharmacotherapy for tobacco dependence. Attention is drawn to cytisine as a paternal substance to the search for other effective therapeutically and safe analogues.