NCJ Number
234041
Journal
NIDA Notes Volume: 23 Issue: 3 Dated: December 2010 Pages: 1,6,7
Date Published
December 2010
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This study investigated a new vaccine to prevent cocaine abuse among chronic cocaine users.
Abstract
The study found that for some patients, the vaccine suppressed cocaine's psychoactive effects, with the loss of the psychoactive effects occurring after three to four injections of the vaccine. In addition, drug use declined in both the patients who received the vaccine and in those that received the placebo, with those receiving the vaccine showing a more rapid reduction in use. Among the vaccinated patients, 38 percent of the 55 individuals who completed the series of injections produced anti-cocaine antibodies in quantities high enough to reliably block drug-induced euphoria. The study's principal investigator noted that this treatment works well for patients that make enough anti-cocaine antibodies. Data for this study came from 115 men and women who were seeking drug abuse treatment at an outpatient clinic after having abuse cocaine for about 15 years. On average, the participants were taking cocaine 3 times a day, 3 days per week; were addicted to opioids and had begun methadone maintenance therapy 2 weeks prior to their first injection of the cocaine vaccine or the placebo. As a result of the findings, the principal investigator estimates that about 70 percent of cocaine abusers would develop levels of antibodies high enough to block cocaine's euphoric effects by more than 90 percent. The research team is currently planning to enroll 300 participants in a larger study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse to confirm the results of this initial study, and to determine whether the vaccine could benefit the general population of cocaine abusers. Figures