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."

Comments

Billions on smokes then NicVAX then cancer, woohoo

[kaptink]

Spend billions on cigarettes, then billions on NicVAX and then likely billions on cancer treatments. All while smoking is still legal? I think we are still doing it wrong. If the government was serious, they would make tobacco a scheduled drug. Wouldn't they?

Re:Equilibrium

[stfvon007]

there is an upside, people dumb enough to smoke are removed from the gene pool earlier than those who don't.

Re:"Vaccine"

[BitZtream]

No, it really doesn't.

It just tortures you into being unable to ever get any sort of relief from the withdrawal symptoms.

This isn't an anti-smoking vaccine. This is a torture people with no hope relief while they still crave it for the rest of their lives drug.

In short, it would be useful only to someone who has never smoked, otherwise its just mean.

Then you're screwed when they later find out the nicotine is useful for certain things ... which ... they ... are ... learning. Yes, nicotine is beneficial for some things.

I haven't smoked in 6 years or so. Find me a drug that makes it so I don't wake up every morning and have the first thought in my head be 'god I want a cig' and I'm there, but this sort of crap is a bad idea.