Vaccine for Cocaine Addiction October 12
Researchers are reportedly looking into the possibility of treating addiction to cocaine by means of a vaccine, helping former addicts to decrease their use or overcome their dependency on the substance altogether.
The experimental vaccine that is currently being studied reportedly works by increasing the level of cocaine antibodies, decreasing the ability of cocaine to affect the brain. Based on the trials that have already been conducted, drug users who received the treatment and responded positively were able to achieve high levels of antibodies and were twice as likely to reduce their use of cocaine by 50%. This group also had more negative cocaine urine tests as opposed to those who had low antibody levels or those who were only administered with placebo vaccine.
The down side to the experimental vaccine, though, is that the percentage of those who achieved high antibody levels among those who were treated is low: only 38%. Also, the high level of antibodies was sustained by the subjects for only for two months. If the vaccine is to work as a long-term treatment to rid a person of cocaine addition, the numbers will need to change for the better.
So for now, the vaccine is largely in the experimental stage and additional studies are required in order to first increase the number of treated subjects who are able to achieve high antibodies, and second to increase the length of time that high antibody levels are sustained.
In trials involving animals, according to researchers, the increased antibody levels have the ability to capture cocaine in the body. The result is the prevention of the delivery of the substance to the brain in order to induce a state of euphoria but without psychological side effects.
Tags: cocaine addiction, cocaine vaccine, drug abuse, drug abuse vaccine, Drug overdose, illegal drug abuse, illegale use of drugs