Scientists in Brazil, the world’s second largest consumer of cocaine, have announced the development of a revolutionary new treatment for cocaine addiction and a vaccine for its potent derivative.
The experimental vaccine, named ‘Calixcoca’, has shown promising results in animal studies, triggering an immune response that blocks cocaine and crack from reaching the brain, which researchers believe is responsible for users becoming addicted to it. The hope is that it will help break the cycle of illness.
Simply put, the drug stops addicts from getting high.
Psychiatrist Frederico García, coordinator of the team that developed the treatment at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, said if the treatment receives regulatory approval, it will be the first time a vaccine has been used to treat cocaine addiction. He said that.
Last week, the project won the top prize of 500,000 euros ($530,000) at the Euro Health Innovation Award for Latin American Medicine, sponsored by pharmaceutical company Europharma.
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The vaccine works by stimulating a patient’s immune system to produce antibodies that bind to cocaine molecules in the bloodstream, making them too large to enter the brain’s mesolimbic or “reward center.” You won’t be able to do that. This mesolimbic system is where drugs typically provide stimulation that induces high levels of pleasure. Dopamine.
A similar study is being conducted in the United States, the world’s largest consumer of cocaine, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. However, Garcia said the research stalled for reasons including insufficient results in clinical trials.
Calixcoca has so far proven effective in animal studies, producing significant levels of antibodies against cocaine and having few side effects.
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Researchers also found that it protected rat fetuses from cocaine, suggesting it could be used in humans to protect the fetuses of pregnant addicts.
The vaccine is now scheduled to enter the final stage of clinical trials – human trials.
Garcia says Cariscoca has the potential to change the face of addiction treatment.
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“There are no specific registered treatments for cocaine and crack addiction. We currently use a combination of psychological counseling, social assistance and rehabilitation as appropriate,” he says.
Calixcoca has the potential to add an important tool to that therapy, helping patients at critical stages of recovery, such as when exiting rehabilitation, he says.
Because the vaccine is made with lab-engineered compounds rather than biological components, it costs less to produce than many vaccines and doesn’t need to be stored at cold temperatures.
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But it’s not a “panacea” that can be given to everyone, Garcia said.
The exact target audience will depend on the results of clinical trials, but the theory is that the drug is aimed at recovering addicts who are “off[cocaine]and want to stay that way,” he said. .
The goal is to change what Garcia calls “sad statistics.” According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one in four cocaine users become addicted.
And only one in four addicts successfully quits after five years of treatment.
Given the risks, hopes for the vaccine are high. More than 3,000 people contacted Garcia’s team and volunteered to participate in the clinical trial.
