A group of researchers has created a vaccine that prevents fentanyl from entering the brain.
While they’ve tested the doses in rats so far, it turns out it’s ready to be tested in humans.
This discovery could be part of a solution to the opioid epidemic.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that people often use to get a significantly stronger high than heroin, and drug dealers often mix it with heroin to increase potency and gains.
However, being 50 times stronger than heroin, fentanyl is easier to overdose, and it only takes 2 milligrams to be fatal, leading to a devastating crisis in which more than 150 people die from synthetic opioid overdoses each day.
By blocking the desired effects of fentanyl, researchers hope they can help prevent some of these deaths, according to the study published in the journal Pharmaceutics.
“We believe these findings could have a significant impact on a very serious problem that has plagued society for years: opioid abuse. Our vaccine is capable of generating anti-fentanyl antibodies that bind to consumed fentanyl and prevent it from entering the brain, allowing it to be eliminated from the body through the kidneys,” said lead author Colin Haile in a statement.
“Therefore, the individual will not feel the euphoric effects and will be able to ‘get back on the bandwagon’ towards sobriety,” adds Haile.
The vaccine causes the body to produce antibodies against fentanyl and contains dmLT, which stimulates the body’s immune response to the vaccines. When given to rats, anti-fentanyl antibodies neutralized fentanyl levels and reduced its amount in the brain, but did not do the same for morphine. No adverse effects of the vaccine were observed in rats.
It could be a game-changer in the fight against opioid abuse, as there are currently extremely limited treatment options for people addicted to heroin and other opioids.
Another study found a 91 percent relapse rate for sober heroin addicts, so a vaccine against one of the biggest threats to life could at least minimize these people’s chances of fentanyl overdose.
“The use and overdose of fentanyl is a particular therapeutic challenge that is not adequately addressed with current medications due to its pharmacodynamics, and the management of acute overdose with short-acting naloxone is not adequately effective as it often multiple doses of naloxone are needed to reverse the fatal effects of fentanyl,” said Therese Kosten, lead author of the aforementioned study.
Now, the researchers hope to make the vaccine clinical-grade to make the transition to human trials, which will begin in the coming months.
