Anti-Smoking Vaccine Is Nearing the Market

eldavojohn writes "Almost 6 years ago we discussed a vaccine to help people quit smoking as it entered human clinical trials. Now it looks like the finishing touches have been put on a deal that will go into effect once phase III testing of the drug now called NicVAX is completed. NicVAX was developed by Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, who have agreed to license it to GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals; it is expected to complete phase III testing successfully. Others have fallen short of this goal, in pursuit of a smoking-cessation market expected to hit $4.6 billion worldwide by 2016. Nabi has also sold an experimental vaccine for staph infections; and in 2008 we discussed news of a cocaine vaccine."

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[Kratisto]

I hear will-power and the notion of a life plagued by health problems followed by an early death completed clinical trials sixty years ago. What's more, there are no side effects, and when taken properly, there is a 100% chance of success.

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[Icegryphon]

Willpower, either you own the cigarettes, or they own you.

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[Monkeedude1212]

What's more, there are no side effects

Clearly you've never been addicted to something. Like, ADDICTED addicted, in the sense that your body physically feels different when you try to ween it off.

Don't get me wrong, I think you are right, that quitting is more about a person being disciplined and wanting to quit more than anything else, but to say that you won't feel anything when trying to quit is inaccurate.

Yes, you will get the shivers, and you will get the sweats, and you might even get the shakes. But you gotta fight through that shit.

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[mikael_j]

*gives Kratisto nightly heroin injections for a few weeks just to see what happens*

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[dncsky1530]

While willpower alone could and should make someone stop smoking, unfortunately not everyone is able to muster that willpower. There are a wide range of reasons people have trouble quitting (on top of the fact it's physically addictive), maybe they have smoked to a long long time or they are very stressed. I'm sure many of these people know it's bad for them and many smokers I've talked to say they want to quit but just can't. I think this vaccine is a brilliant step forward and it will give many life long smokers a second chance to quit. I'm sure there are many people to really have tried everything to quit and hopefully this vaccine will be the last thing they have to try.

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[betterunixthanunix]

I do not know, I am really not a doctor. My point was that people can use tobacco without developing a dependence on it, that's all.

I would be interested in finding out if people with a dependence on both alcohol and tobacco would really be helped by this "vaccine" -- maybe taking the joy out of tobacco could lead to people consuming even more alcohol.

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[MightyMartian]

If you're story is true, then this guy already had one foot through the Loony Tooney Mad House before he quit smoking. He should have been seeing a shrink and being monitored. Suffice it to say, most people ain't going to blow their brains out because they quit smoking, and those that do were nuts to begin with. This is like blaming Judas Priest for some dumb-ass kids' suicide pact.

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[h4rr4r]

What if you don't need to but like too?

I don't need to have diet pepsi, but I like it.

Having a couple smokes after a long night is no big deal. Unless you live in a bubble you are getting far worse from daily exposure to car exhaust.

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[value_added]

Rough going, huh? For me, it's quiet the opposite.

I've been smoking for over 20 years, and on occasion I get the urge to quit. The reason has to do with the habit itself. Any habit taken to the extreme or adopted for far too long tends to get less enjoyable as time passes.

When, I do quit, it's typically for a few weeks or maybe a few months at a time. No real withdrawl, except for the day or two, of course. By the end of that period, I come to the same conclusions. Namely, that the "benefits" of smoking (enhanced concentration, relaxation, creativity, etc.) are gone and I want them back. Not need them, but want them. Life, I think, is a bit too ordinary without a vice.

Say what you will about the dangers of smoking, it has its rewards. Besides, what else to do when having a drink, after sex, or when you need to ponder a big idea? And no, nicotine in drug form (as a safer alternative) isn't the answer any more than taking caffeine pills is a substitute for enjoy a coffee. With a cigarette of course. ;-)

As a side note, all cigarettes sold in the US and EU are now required to "fire-safe". That's an oxymoronic term for "they're doused with a chemical to retard burning and prevent fires". The result is a cigarette that doesn't burn properly and tastes like shit. If I do ever quit, it'll be because I've taken up cigars and Scotch.

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[cptdondo]

I coach people through weight loss and smoking cessation. At the beginning I make them sign a contract that says, in part, that they understand this is a life change that will cost them their current friends and social contacts.

Few relationships can survive a life change like that. That's why it's so difficult to quit.

When you smoke or overeat, you chose friends that do the same. And you do activities that revolve around overeating or smoking.

When you quit or lose weight, you find new friends and new activities and you find that your old friends no longer are your friends. Sometimes it's just a gradual thing, but sometimes those "friends" dump loads and loads of guilt on the person trying to change their life, and do everything possible to sabotage the effort.

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[Psyborgue]

No. Nicotine is a stimulant and many people with ADHD use it to self medicate. It works, and it's not your body, so who the hell cares what you think.

"Vaccine"

[oldhack]

Another useful word lost: "vaccine".

Re:"Vaccine"

[RManning]

From TFA...

NicVAX works by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies that bind to nicotine in the bloodstream, making the nicotine molecule too large to cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain.

So it effects the immune system to recognize some particular foreign matter and deal with it? That sounds like a vaccine to me.

Re:"Vaccine"

[Hyppy]

So it's a nicotine absorption vaccine. Hence the name NicVax. They're preventing absorption, which has the beneficial side effect of helping with addiction.

Re:Unfortunately...

[BobMcD]

You're probably correct. It isn't hard to imagine a world where $drug_of_choice will no longer be effective for self-medication, and only prescribed pharmaceuticals will still work, because only those will be left outside of what the vaccine targets.

Although the vaccine does not reduce the cravings or withdrawal symptoms of quitting, it will reduce the rewarding effects of smoking. It is designed to curb the "high" smokers feel when they light up.

Re:Unfortunately...

[Carrot007]

People needing release will always find something.

In some contries around the world alcohol is not allowed.

If you think that means they have no recreational drugs (legal ones as like alcohol) then you are very naive.

The only solution to addiction is to make people happy and contented. No one seems to be interested in this. there is no money in it.\

You're still quitting

[MillionthMonkey]

You're obviously not a nonsmoker yet. You're still maintaining interest in the cigarettes you own. People quitting often suffer a relapse around two months after quitting because they feel invulnerable and cigarettes are still around. You're going to end up smoking those fuckers in four more weeks. Get them out your freezer, and throw them out of your house. Toss them into a dumpster without opening the pack. And tell all your Facebook friends to promise to never let you have one of theirs.

Re:Equilibrium

[ResidntGeek]

.If the HPV vaccine is any indication, the shot might better odds at killing me than lung cancer ever would.

What the hell are you talking about? Does it ever bother you, being ignorant? Don't you ever wonder what it's like to not be ignorant?

Re:Equilibrium

[Hurricane78]

I’m not saying you’re wrong.
I just wonder how you think you that insulting someone and offering nothing else than ad-hominem style non-arguments will convince us or especially him so say that you’re right? ^^
Especially since I know that some good arguments made you take that point of view in the first place. So you can definitely do much better. :)

Protip: To change someone’s opinion, there is no way around first agreeing with him. And being friendly enough that he listens to you. Even if he is wrong and an ass. Or your 13 year old son. No not even. Especially in those cases!
Disclaimer: Yep, I need to get better at this too. :)
Funny note: You used “projection”. Because your ignorance was the reason you called him ignorant. (Okay, I know, now I definitely blew it. So I’ll go now. :)