The History of Tabex®.

In the distant 1865 acad. А. Orehov found out and chemically analysed the alkaloid cytisine contained in Family Papilionaceae and is the main active substance of Tabex®. Cytisine belongs to the group of nicotine blockers that are known in clinical practice as respiration stimulators. The pharmacological study of cytisine at the Pharmacology Department of the Sofia Medical Institute started as early as in the 50s of the last century and their aim was to create an ampoule dosage form for the needs of resuscitation. During experimental studies on anaesthetised cats, two famous Bulgarian pharmacologists – Prof. Paskov and Dr. Dobrev reached to the important conclusion that due to its lower toxicity than nicotine and mostly to its weaker peripheral effect on the cardiovascular system, cytisine can be used as a smoking cessation device, as it interacts with the same receptors in human body together with nicotine.

The intriguing thing in that story is that half a century ago two heavy smokers-pharmacologists arrived at the good idea how to give an opportunity to the cigarettes-dependent individuals to go through the abstinence syndrome easily (a condition of bad mood, anxiety, headache, etc.), accompanying the cigarette quitting period and at the same time to feel stimulated, as cytisine also has confirmed anti-depressive effect.

In 1962 in Bulgaria Prof. Isaev isolated cytisine from the golden chain plant and started an intensive research on the creation of the original medicinal product Tabex®. Large clinical trials in Bulgaria, Germany and Poland followed that confirmed the efficacy and most of all the need of positive attitude in smoking cessation attempts.

It is well known that depressive moods and abstinence syndrome are psychic conditions, that accompany any dependency, that are most difficult to overcome. The extensive clinical research conducted in Bulgaria and abroad confirmed this advantage of Tabex® – trademark of Sopharma.

Tabex has helped millions worldwide as far as Australia to stop smoking.