Brazilian scientists announced a few days ago that They were developing an innovative vaccine to treat addiction to cocaine and its powerful derivative, crack. Called ‘Calixcoca’, the treatment, which has given promising results in animal trials, triggers an immune response that prevents these substances from reaching the brain.
The vaccine, as they have advanced, would prevent addicts from getting high on the drug. This is how we hope to break the cycle of addiction. According to Frederico Garcia, psychiatrist and project coordinator at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil), if the treatment obtains regulatory approval, It would be the first time that cocaine addiction has been treated with a vaccine.
A week ago, the project won the highest award, worth 500,000 euros, at the Euro Health Awards for Innovation in Latin American Medicine. sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Eurofarma.
As they have commented, the vaccine acts causing the patients’ immune system to produce antibodies They bind to cocaine molecules in the bloodstream, making them too large to pass into the brain’s mesolimbic system, or “reward center,” where the drug normally stimulates high levels of pleasure-inducing dopamine.
[Tiburones “locos” por consumir cocaína: narcos arrojan droga al mar y desatan el caos en Florida]
Similar studies have been carried out in the United States, the world’s largest consumer of cocaine, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. But These efforts stalled when clinical trials did not demonstrate sufficient results.among other reasons, as García pointed out.
So far, Calixcoca has proven effective in animal trials, producing significant levels of anti-cocaine antibodies and few side effects. The researchers They also discovered that it protected rat fetuses against cocaine, suggesting that it could be used in humans to protect the fetuses of pregnant women. The vaccine is about to enter the final phase of trials: human testing.
According to García, ‘Calixcoca’ could change the treatment of addictions. “There is no no specific treatment recorded for cocaine addiction and crack. “We currently use a combination of psychological counselling, social assistance and rehabilitation, when necessary,” he stated.
Garcia believes Calixcoca could add an important tool to that regimen by helping patients in critical stages of recovery, such as when they leave rehab. The vaccine It is made with chemical compounds designed in the laboratory, instead of biological ingredientsmeaning that its production would be less expensive than many vaccines and would not have to be stored at low temperatures.
[La historia tras ‘Cocaine Bear’, el oso que ingirió cuatro gramos de cocaína y murió de sobredosis]
Even so, García warns that it will not be a “panacea” that can be administered to anyone. The exact target group will depend on the outcome of clinical trials, but In theory it is designed for recovering addicts “who have stopped (cocaine) and want to continue like this,” he added.
The objective is to change what García describes as “sad statistics.” According to the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, one in four regular cocaine users becomes addicted. And only one in four addicts manages to quit after five years of treatment. Given what is at stake, the expectation around the vaccine is enormous. More than 3,000 people have contacted García’s team to voluntarily participate in clinical trials.
2023-11-04 19:50:51
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