Brazilian scientists have created a vaccination to treat crack and cocaine. The drug will function in an unusual way by depriving consumers of the “high.”
The vaccine for cocaine is known as “Calixcoca,” and here’s all you need to know about it.
Calixcoca’s Operation
According to an AFP story, the vaccination causes an immunological response that prevents the high from cocaine and its derivatives from reaching the brain.
The immune reaction trigger, according to the paper, will cause a patient’s body to manufacture antibodies that bind cocaine molecules to the bloodstream. The larger molecules will be too large to enter the brain’s “reward center,” or the mesolimbic system, which cocaine stimulates to release dopamine, the pleasure-inducing reward chemical.
Once vaccinated, the medicine has the potential to assist people in breaking the cycle of addiction. In other words, even if they consume the drug, they will not experience the desired high.
The research was awarded the highest prize of 500,000 euros ($530,000) at the Euro Health Innovation Awards for Latin American medicine last week.
Is it genuinely effective?
Scientists tested the medication on animals and found that it produced large amounts of antibodies against cocaine. The vaccination had few side effects and was reported to help protect rat fetuses against cocaine.
According to the scientists behind the novel medicine, this can help protect the unborn children of pregnant addicts.
The vaccine is about to reach the next stage of human testing after showing good outcomes in animals.
Why hadn’t anyone thought of developing a cocaine vaccination sooner?
They did it. Similar studies were conducted in the United States, which, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, is the world’s top consumer.
However, when clinical trials failed to provide enough results, this research was halted, according to psychiatrist Frederico Garcia, coordinator of the team that created the treatment at the Federal University of Minas Gerais.
As per Garcia, “There’s no specific registered treatment for cocaine and crack addiction. We currently use a combination of psychological counseling, social assistance, and rehabilitation, when necessary.”
He also stated that the medicine would be used as a supplement to recovery and would not be a “panacea” that could be given to anyone. It is intended for recovering drug addicts “who are off (cocaine) and want to stay that way,” he told AFP.