An NIH-supported study investigating a vaccine to treat cocaine addiction reports promising results, according to Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The study was conducted over 24 weeks, with 114 people recruited from New Haven, Conn. Those who received the vaccine showed antibodies in blood serum tests and "significantly more cocaine-free urine samples." In addition to receiving the vaccine, participants worked with a substance abuse counselor. The findings were reported in the October edition of Archives of General Psychiatry.
According to the NIH press release, the "vaccine inhibits or blocks the cocaine-induced euphoria" by preventing cocaine's entry into the brain. The vaccine has been the focus of research by a research team who moved to Baylor University from Yale and have been researching addiction for 30 years. Cocaine addiction alters the brain, turning the brain of a 22-year old addict closer to the appearance of a 60-year old Parkinson's patient. The authors report that roughly 2.5 million Americans are affected each year by cocaine dependence. This study was partially supported by Celtic Pharmaceutical, the authors report. Study criteria are available.
