Laburnum - Comments

From LoveToKnow 1911

The active ingredient of Cytisus laburnum, cytisine, is now manufactured and marketed by Pfizer, the huge prescription drug company. Called "Chantix," it is the latest non-nicotine smoking cessation drug approved by the FDA. It's not covered by insurance companies, and costs more than $100 for a month's supply. How simple would it be to make a medicinal herbal preparation from this flowering shrub? While cytisine is known to be toxic, so is nicotine, but there is obviously some way to harness cytisine to benefit smokers who want to quit.