Possible vaccine for cocaine addiction

I never thought much about something like a cocaine addiction vaccine actually working. The way this article explains it though, it could work a lot like nicotine patches do for smokers.

Recent research has shown that this vaccine-like shot is preventing users from getting high and also helping them fight their drug addiction. So far the shots don't work perfectly for every individual but the results look very promising. Researchers say that a perfected shot could be widely used to treat addiction within several years.

The vaccine works much the same way that nicotine vaccines do for smokers. They both stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies that attach to molecules of the drugs and block them from reaching the brain. This prevents the "high" that you would get from cocaine or nicotine.

In a study of this new vaccine, participants didn't experience the typical euphoric high that comes with cocaine use. Nearly 40 percent of them substantially cut back their use or stopped at least temporarily.

While the vaccine is still in it's early stages, many researchers say that the recent results are very promising. They hope to intoduce it to the mass market within several years to help battle the rising number of people hooked on cocaine.


I think the possiblity of a vaccine for cocaine dependancy is wonderful. I don't altogether understand what makes some people start in the first place but I do understand that it's next to impossible to quit once you're hooked. I've seen people addicted to cocaine and watched their lives spiral out of control. You really can't quit on your own. Something like this vaccine could give hope to a lot of people.

I was somewhat surprised to find out that methadone has no effect on cocaine addiction. The article talks about methadone being used to treat herion addiction but it also mentions that methadone is ineffective when it comes to cocaine dependancy.

I was impressed with some of the statistics of the study too. The article states that, of the group of 115 cocaine users, 53 percent stopped using cocaine for more than half the duration of the 12 week study. While they may have gone back to using, I think these results are very promising. Cocaine addiction is a very serious thing. Some addicts can't go more than mere hours between hits. To be able to stop altogether, even if it is temporary, is definitely an accomplishment.

The only concern I had when reading this article was this: What happens after? Once the addict has started treatment and successfully quits using cocaine, what happens then. How long do they need to keep up a regimen of shots to prevent a relapse? Can they become as dependant on the vaccine as they were on the cocaine?

I hope we hear more about this in the future. I think the possiblity of a cure for cocaine addiction is a great thing and I wish all the luck in the world to the doctors and scientists working on this project.