Study Tests Smoking Vaccine
Researchers in the Netherlands are examining the effectiveness of an
anti-smoking vaccine.
The two-year study on NicVAX is being conducted at the ExTra Research
Institute at the University of Maastricht in Amsterdam, in partnership
with Nabi Biopharmaceutical, the U.S.-based company that developed the
vaccine.
The first phase of the study involves 21 Dutch smokers and nine
non-smokers. The clinical trials will determine whether the drug is safe
for use by humans.
Future studies will evaluate whether NicVAX works as intended. The vaccine
was designed to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies that
bind to nicotine and prevent it from crossing the blood/brain barrier.
"In terms of time to market, we are talking years," said David Gury,
chairman and chief executive officer of Nabi Biopharmaceutical. "However,
we feel that this product has potential for tremendous public, as well as
humanitarian impact, on a product that microgram for microgram is very
much more addictive than cocaine."
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The Drug war as seen by the Latin American press.(four stars)
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FDA Approval of GHB Raises Concerns
Experts in the addiction field are concerned about fallout from the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the club drug GHB for
medical use.
The FDA approved the drug for the treatment of cataplexy, a
muscle-weakness complication that can cause people with narcolepsy to
collapse without warning.
Although the FDA has set tight restrictions on the drug's distribution,
experts are concerned that it could end up in the hands of young people.
"With the abuse potential so high and an already dedicated abuse
population, this is a recipe for disaster," said Carol Falkowski, a
researcher at the Hazelden Foundation, a drug treatment research and
education center.
Falkowski...»»
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