Vaccines for Drug Addiction
- 10.14.2009
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Vaccines to aid recovering nicotine, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines addicts may be on the horizon.
The vaccines do not prevent addiction the way traditional vaccines ward off diseases. They are designed to be used in conjunction with other treatments such as behavioral therapy. Because the vaccines only address the chemical effects of addiction, not the behavioral, the combination of vaccines and other therapies will be essential in helping people overcome their addictions.
They work by stimulating the body's immune system to create antibodies that bind to the drug and prevent it from reaching the brain and producing a chemical high.
Developments of the nicotine and cocaine vaccines are the most advanced; versions for methamphetamines, heroin and phencyclidine are in the works.
The federal government has agreed to fund a clinical trial of the nicotine vaccine and The National Institute on Drug Abuse will fund a larger study of the cocaine vaccine beginning in January.
Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-addiction6-2009oct06,0,3400048.story
The vaccines do not prevent addiction the way traditional vaccines ward off diseases. They are designed to be used in conjunction with other treatments such as behavioral therapy. Because the vaccines only address the chemical effects of addiction, not the behavioral, the combination of vaccines and other therapies will be essential in helping people overcome their addictions.
They work by stimulating the body's immune system to create antibodies that bind to the drug and prevent it from reaching the brain and producing a chemical high.
Developments of the nicotine and cocaine vaccines are the most advanced; versions for methamphetamines, heroin and phencyclidine are in the works.
The federal government has agreed to fund a clinical trial of the nicotine vaccine and The National Institute on Drug Abuse will fund a larger study of the cocaine vaccine beginning in January.
Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-addiction6-2009oct06,0,3400048.story
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