BS: Nicotine vaccination may cure addiction

Subject: BS: Nicotine vaccination may cure addiction
From: freda underhill
Date: 16 May 05 - 08:29 AM

New hope to beat tobacco addiction; Kate Jones, medical reporter
16 may 05;

CLINICAL trials on a new vaccine against smoking have raised hopes it could prevent cigarette addiction. After being injected with the vaccine, some smokers were able to kick the habit immediately, results of the first large human trial reveal. Tests on more than 340 smokers showed 57 per cent of those injected with the highest dose of the vaccine quit. And 32 per cent of smokers who received low-dose vaccine levels were able to butt out. Of those injected with a placebo, 31 per cent stopped smoking.

The drug works by combining nicotine with antibodies in the bloodstream, blocking nicotine from entering the brain and shutting down the body's addiction to tobacco. Swiss company Cytos Biotechnology released the findings of the trial at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Florida yesterday.
Prof Jacques Cornuz said the results were exciting. "The data clearly suggests that antibodies against nicotine are effective in helping people quit smoking," he said.

"I believe that the vaccine approach has the potential to dramatically alter the way we will treat smoking addiction in the future." Cytos plans more human trials in the US and Europe. Vaccine dosages and the number of injections will be increased to ensure nicotine does not enter the brain. If the vaccine is approved by health authorities worldwide, it could be on the market by 2010.
more here

Subject: RE: BS: Nicotine vaccination may cure addiction
From: GUEST,Amos
Date: 16 May 05 - 07:33 PM

This is terrific news; I hope it bears out under further testing and becomes general practice!

I fell off the wagon for three weeks after two years off the wicked weeds, so I am now back on the lozenges (called Commit over here) and they seem to be working as well this time as they did the first time. But I know they don't work for all cases and the bigger the arsenal the better.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Nicotine vaccination may cure addiction
From: GUEST,McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 May 05 - 07:54 PM

Strikes me as getting it the wrong way round. If you want to get people to stop smoking you make the stuff stronger, so that one puff and the smoker is satisfied. Making it weaker just encourages people to smoke more.

I'd be inclined to suspect that this research may be being financed by the people who want to sell more cigarettes...

Subject: RE: BS: Nicotine vaccination may cure addiction
From: GUEST
Date: 16 May 05 - 08:07 PM

hmmm... I must be missing something. I didn't glean anything from the snippet posted that the vaccine is making anything weaker.

But the psychological portion of a smoking addiction is of equal importance. It didn't matter whether I smoked the low tar/nicotine ciggies or the "full flavored" ones...my habit was about 17 cigarettes a day, regardless (about 1/hour).

Subject: RE: BS: Nicotine vaccination may cure addiction
From: GUEST,Sorch
Date: 16 May 05 - 10:25 PM

Well,you have to WANT to quit....for anything to work.

Subject: RE: BS: Nicotine vaccination may cure addiction
From: GUEST,CAH
Date: 16 May 05 - 11:32 PM

Or, say as in "A Clockwork Orange", an injection that would make a 'smoker' violently ill in the presence of nicotine would work...

The problem is, I don't believe that the nicotine is the problem... I believe the additives dumped into cigarettes by tobacco companies is what is more addictive...

Subject: RE: BS: Nicotine vaccination may cure addiction
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 17 May 05 - 07:23 AM

Well all thes bits of scientific analysis flies in the face of all recent studies, I'd be fascinated to read your reseach into this problem as I have recently started smoking again after a 8 year break and would love to stop again

Subject: RE: BS: Nicotine vaccination may cure addiction
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 17 May 05 - 12:21 PM

So stop, already! There's only one way to stop, and that's to stop!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Nicotine vaccination may cure addiction
From: GUEST,mack/misophist
Date: 17 May 05 - 08:55 PM

Guest @ 8:07PM is quite right. The physical side of smoking is easy for me to overcome, but the psychological aspects are too compelling to be beaten. Cigarettes not only mark the progress of my day; they are my main response to stress.

Subject: RE: BS: Nicotine vaccination may cure addiction
From: GUEST,Amos
Date: 17 May 05 - 11:10 PM

There are, in my experience, two classes of smokers. One group is _primarily_ addicted to the chemistry and the other -primarily-addicted to the behaviours. I can chew gum for stress and I don't care about the behavioral triggers like smoking when on the phone or at bus stops. But I HATE not having the stimulation of nicotine. My wife can do just fione without the nicotine except she wants a cigarette whenever the phone rings or when she takes a work break, or when dining with friends.

Different makeup for different folks. In my experience women tend to be more centered on the behaviors and men on the chemistry, but I haven't done the metrics.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Nicotine vaccination may cure addiction
From: GUEST
Date: 18 May 05 - 12:44 AM

Perhaps ... I think the two facets of the addiction are inextricably intertwined. That's what makes it so difficult to quit. Designer "cures" tend to focus either on the nicotine addiction or the psychological addiction, but seldom do they address both.

But hey, I am one of the laziest, weak-willed humans on the face of the planet, and I have been smoke free for about thirteen years. Not bragging - I know I could break over any day. Nicotine is my enemy, and it is a formidable one. To take an Eastern philosophical tack, I could say I am honored to have such a formidable enemy, because it's made me a stronger person. If I can do it, anyone can. Seriously.