Vaccine may beat cocaine

A husband-and-wife research team at Baylor University in the US is working on a vaccine for cocaine that they hope will become the first of its kind to treat people addicted to the drug, the Associated Press reports.

"For people who have a desire to stop using [cocaine], the vaccine should be very useful," said Dr Tom Kosten, a psychiatry professor who is being assisted in the research by his wife, Therese, a psychologist and neuroscientist. "At some point, most users will give in to temptation and relapse, but those for whom the vaccine is effective won't get high and will lose interest."

The vaccine, currently in clinical trials, stimulates the immune system to attack cocaine when it's ingested. Kosten has asked the US Food and Drug Administration to approve a multi-institutional trial of the vaccine and is waiting for a response, the AP said.

"Addiction vaccines are a promising advance, but it's unlikely any treatment in this field will work for everyone," said Dr David Gorelick, a senior investigator at the US National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Still, if they prove successful, they will give those working in drug addiction an important option." – (HealthDayNews)

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Substance abuse Centre

January 2008