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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."
Willpower, either you own the cigarettes, or they own you.
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.
*gives Kratisto nightly heroin injections for a few weeks just to see what happens*
Greylisting is to SMTP as NAT is to IPv4
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.
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.
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.