Varenicline was discovered when some Russian guy found a bunch of it in his spice cabinet and put some of it into his borscht as a substitute for oregano. In addition to losing interest in tobacco products, the man began having uncontrollable seizures which left him permanently comatose. Lionel T. Wimberley, a Pfizer chemist, found that the man had quit smoking after becoming comatose. He decided to bring this information to his superiors who agreed that a profit could be made from this chemical to help people stop smoking.