Heroin vaccine ready for human testing, researchers say

A heroin-blocking vaccine has proven its effectiveness in rats and is ready for human clinical trials, say scientists at The Scripps Research Institute.

Even after being put through withdrawal and then given access to heroin again, the vaccinated rats don’t seek it out.

“The effects of the heroin vaccine are more dramatic than any we’ve ever seen and have been tested more rigorously in an animal model than we’ve every seen,” said George Koob, the study’s senior author.

George Koob chairs the committee On The Neurobiology Of Addictive Disorders at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla. — Bradley J. Fikes/U-T San Diego
Senior study author Kim Janda says the vaccine causes the body to produce antibodies against heroin and its psychoactive products. These antibodies circulate in the bloodstream, and neutralize any of these substances they encounter before they reach the brain.

The vaccine isn’t intended to provide a one-step solution for heroin addicts, Koob said. It’s meant to help addicts who want to get off the drug, by eliminating the damaging effect of a relapse.

Money is the main obstacle to beginning human testing, say the researchers, who are looking for a drug company or perhaps a philanthropist to fund the clinical trials.

The trial would be relatively inexpensive, Koob said.


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