A possible breakthrough in the fight against drug addiction was announced by American scientists from a number of research centers and universities in Houston and New Orleans.
We are talking about the opioid epidemic that has claimed the lives of hundreds of people in many countries. Researchers note that while opioid use disorder is treatable, about 80 percent of people addicted to opioids relapse. At the same time, a dose of fentanyl as small as 2 milligrams—the size of two grains of rice—can potentially be fatal, as this drug is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
“Our vaccine is capable of generating fentanyl antibodies that bind to ingested fentanyl and prevent it from reaching the brain, allowing it to be cleared from the body through the kidneys,” said University of Houston associate professor Colin Hale. , lead author of the study. .
The vaccine developers emphasize that a person after vaccination does not experience a euphoric effect and can return to sanity.
“Antibodies to fentanyl are specific, and the fentanyl derivative does not cross-react with other opioids such as morphine. This means that a person vaccinated against fentanyl can still be treated with other opioids,” the scientists explain.
Clinical trials of the vaccine did not cause any adverse side effects in immunized rats. Therefore, the research team will test clinical vaccines in humans in the coming months.
