An experimental drug that blocks certain brain receptors can reduce nicotine cravings in addicted rats and baboons - a finding researchers say could lead to new medicines to help people stop smoking for good. The candidate drug, called GSK598809, belongs to a class of compounds that block a specific type of dopamine receptor in key areas of the brain linked to tobacco addiction. It is now ready for testing in early-stage clinical trials in humans, said Manolo Mugnaini, a researcher at the Aptuit Centre for Drug Discovery and Development in Verona, Italy, which was formerly owned by GlaxoSmithKline.
