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A new quit aid is on the horizon that could revolutionize the war against tobacco use: the NicVAX nicotine vaccine.
Imagine being able to get a vaccine that would immunize you against nicotine addiction. After receiving a series of shots that encourage your body to build antibodies to nicotine, the vaccine would render the drug non-addictive. Imagine that.
While it may seem far fetched, such a vaccine is currently under development by researchers at Nabi Biopharmaceuticals.
The goal of the nicotine vaccine, called NicVAX (Nicotine Conjugate Vaccine) is twofold: to help people quit using tobacco, and to eliminate the threat of a relapse by helping the body produce antibodies to nicotine.
Thanks in part to a $10-million grant awarded to them in October 2009 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, Nabi is proceeding with the first of two phase III trials. This is an important step toward the final approval needed from the Food and Drug Administration.
How Vaccines Work
When a person gets a vaccine, the shot contains some of the targeted virus or bacteria in a weakened or dead state. Once introduced to the body, the immune system recognizes and creates antibodies that destroy or disable the invading disease. In this way, the body is prepared against an attack of the live virus or bacteria.How the Nicotine Vaccine Works
Nicotine molecules are tiny and move easily through the blood-brain barrier, where they bind with nicotine receptors that activate the same reward pathways in the brain that cocaine, amphetamines and other drugs of abuse do, although to a lesser degree.Research has shown that nicotine increases the level of dopamine -- a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of pleasure, well-being, and dependence -- in the brain.
According to Nabi, NicVAX contains a nicotine derivative that is chemically bound to a protein "carrier" using a patented vaccine technology. When NicVAX enters the bloodstream via a shot in the arm, it helps the body's immune system generate antibodies to nicotine. Once this happens, these antibodies "capture" nicotine molecules by binding with them. And because the antibodies are too large to breach the blood/brain barrier, nicotine is unable to travel on to the brain where it can cause addiction.
The NicVAX Phase III Trial
The initial Phase III study for NicVAX will be a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving approximately 1,000 patients. The study will look at the abstinence rate for participants at 12 months.Additionally, researchers will look at:
- the abstinence rate at various points throughout the study
- safety and how the immune system is reacting to the vaccine
- the effect of NicVAX on nicotine withdrawal symptoms
- cigarette consumption
- smoking satisfaction and nicotine dependency
"Nicotine addiction causes nearly a half million deaths annually in the United States alone. Finding effective treatments that can help people stay off cigarettes has been a real challenge," said NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins. "This Phase III trial of a nicotine vaccine offers tremendous hope towards solving this immense public health problem."
The nicotine vaccine, once approved, will be a valuable addition to the variety of quit aids available today. With a human life being lost to tobacco-related disease every 8 seconds somewhere on the planet, smokers need as many choices as possible to help them beat nicotine addiction before it beats them.
Quit Smoking Help:
Sources:
Nabi Biopharmeceuticals. Key Facts About NicVAX® and Nicotine Addiction. http://www.nabi.com/images/factsheets/fsNicVAX.pdf
Accessed: November 2009.
National Institutes of Health. Federal Stimulus Grant Supports Crucial Study of Anti-Nicotine Vaccine. http://www.nih.gov/news/health/oct2009/nida-29.htm
Accessed: November 2009.