The vaccine to quit smoking arrives

Thesmokerswill be ableget vaccinated against nicotine in late 2012, the expected date for the approval in the United States of this treatment that could end smoking, as announced by the clinical director of Pharmacotherapy of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Iván Montoya. The preliminary step will be the presentation in the first months of next year of the results of two trials carried out in the United States, in which 2,000 people have participated, and which offer “very encouraging” results.

According to Julio Bobes, the vaccine works byinjection of a virus or bacteria that, together with the molecules of addictive substances, achievesgenerateantibodies that? sequester “the drugin the bloodstream. In this way, molecules that are too large are created to cross the cerebrospinal barrier, so that the body does not feel any pleasant effects when consuming tobacco, although its negative effects are maintained: lung and cardiovascular diseases, as well as cancer.

The nicotine vaccine consists of five injectionswhich are given in about six months, and will be supported by psychological therapies with the aim of motivating the patient and making him aware of the need to stop using the drug, in the same way as is currently done with cessation treatments. The head of NIDA explained thata month after starting treatment, the immune system produces the highest levels of antibodiesand therefore this would be the “most therapeutic” occasion and the “ideal time” for the addict to quit smoking.