Researchers in Brazil, the country that consumes cocaine second globally, have revealed that they have created a vaccine that could potentially treat cocaine addiction and its potent derivative crack. Called "Calixcoca," the experimental vaccination elicits an immunological response that prevents cocaine and crack from entering the brain, perhaps assisting users in ending their addiction cycle It has demonstrated
encouraging outcomes in animal testing. Put simply, addicts would no longer get high from the drug.
If the treatment gets regulatory approval, it would be the first time cocaine addiction is treated using a vaccine, said psychiatrist Frederico Garcia, coordinator of the team that created the remedy at Minas Gerais Federal University. The pharmaceutical company Eurofarma supported the research, which took home the top prize of 500,000 euros ($530,000) at the Euro Health Innovation Awards for Latin American medicine last week. The vaccine functions by stimulating the production of antibodies by the immune systems of the patients, which attach to cocaine molecules in the bloodstream and make them too big to enter the brain's mesolimbic system, also referred to as the "reward center," which is where the medication typically increases high dopamine levels that cause pleasure.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, similar studies have been conducted in the United States, which is the country that consumes the most cocaine worldwide. But among other things, Garcia claims that they came to a standstill when clinical trials failed to produce adequate results. Thus far, studies conducted on animals have demonstrated the effectiveness of Calixcoca in eliciting large levels of antibodies against cocaine with few side effects. Researchers also discovered that it shielded rat fetuses from cocaine, indicating that it might be utilized to protect pregnant addicts' unborn children. The last round of the vaccine's trials—human testing—is about to begin.
According to Garcia, Calixcoca has the potential to transform addiction therapy."There isn't a single, approved program for treating crack and cocaine addiction. Currently when needed, we combine social aid, psychiatric counseling, and rehabilitation," he explains. According to Calixcoca, adding a crucial tool to that regimen could assist patients at crucial points in their rehabilitation, like when they leave rehab. The vaccine would be less expensive to make than many vaccines and would not need to be stored at freezing temperatures because it is built of chemical compounds created in the lab rather than biological materials.
However, Garcia states that it won't be a "panacea" that can be given to everybody. The precise target population will be determined by the results of clinical trials, but the goal is ideally to include recovered addicts "who are off (cocaine) and want to stay that way," according to the theory. The intention is to alter what Garcia refers to as a "sad statistic"—one in four habitual cocaine users develop an addiction, per the US National Institute on Drug Abuse. Furthermore, just one in four addicts who receive treatment for five years are able to stop. The vaccination is highly anticipated given the risks involved. To offer their participation in the clinical trials, almost 3,000 people have been in touch with Garcia's team.
