Vaccines against cocaine, nicotine addiction modeled after infectious diseases research.

Moral of the story: A really cool idea that may just help people quit smoking, completely.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 11/16/09

Vaccines against cocaine, nicotine addiction modeled after infectious diseases research.

USA Today (11/16, Rubin) reported, "Researchers are investigating whether the same approach used to prevent infectious diseases could treat addictions." Nicotine and cocaine molecules "are so tiny that they easily pass from the bloodstream into the brain." A vaccine, however, can stimulate the production of antibodies that "bind with the molecules," making the combo "far too large." No such vaccines are "on the market, but in late September, NIDA released a $10 million stimulus grant to Nabi Pharmaceuticals to help pay for the first Phase III trial...of a smoking-cessation vaccine." And, a paper published in the Archives of General Psychiatry carried successful "results of a cocaine vaccine study." The study's lead author, however, pointed out that "no company is interested in developing a cocaine vaccine because of liability concerns and the assumption it wouldn't be nearly as profitable as a nicotine vaccine."