Fentanyl vaccine may have been discovered

[berkeman]

Interesting new development...

https://www.newsnationnow.com/healt...e=kron4.com&utm_medium=newsnation-cross-brand

Haile explained that the vaccine is able to generate anti-fentanyl antibodies to prevent the drug from entering the brain, which would cause the user to not be able to feel the euphoric effects of the drug once it’s in their system.

“The anti-fentanyl antibodies were specific to fentanyl and a fentanyl derivative and did not cross-react with other opioids, such as morphine. That means a vaccinated person would still be able to be treated for pain relief with other opioids,” said Haile. “If you do not allow fentanyl to enter the brain, you’d have zero effects.”

At this point, the vaccine does have limitations — it wouldn’t stop an accidental overdose.

Narcan, the counteractive nasal spray carried by first responders, would still be widely used to combat those immediate effects. But it would help drug users who struggle with opioid addiction break free from their daily struggles.

“Every day, you need to make the decision that you want to quit using your drugs, whereas, with a vaccine, you only have to make that decision once in a while,” said Therese Kosten, professor of psychology at the Univerity of Houston.

During lab studies, no adverse side effects from the vaccine were discovered.

 

[Godot_]

Quoted from the unquotable Qoute in Berkeman's post above:

“Every day, you need to make the decision that you want to quit using your drugs, whereas, with a vaccine, you only have to make that decision once in a while,” said Therese Kosten, professor of psychology at the Univerity of Houston."

Even better: You get vaccinated against a possible relapse. Great idea!

 

[DaveE]

Interesting new development...

"At this point, the vaccine does have limitations — it wouldn’t stop an accidental overdose."

I don't think that's what the paper says.

For example in their discussion section:
"Opioid overdose results from acute respiratory depression that rapidly leads to irreversible hypoxic cardiac asystole [51]. This effect is mediated through mu opioid receptors located on medullary inspiratory neurons [52]. We measured oxygen saturation, heart rate, and activity in vaccinated and unvaccinated male and female Sprague Dawley rats using a non-invasive pulse oximetry system (Figure 5). As expected, FEN (0.1 mg/kg, SC) significantly decreased oxygen saturation (average maximum decrease to 68% at 10- and 15-m), heart rate (average maximum decrease to 231 bpm at 10-m), and activity counts to near zero levels (10–20-m) in unvaccinated male rats. These effects were completely blocked by the vaccine. "

https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/14/11/2290/htm

 

[Tom.G]

If you follow the link to footnote (52) in the post by @DaveE, above: (https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Opioids+and+the+control+of+respiration&author=Pattinson,+K.T.&publication_year=2008&journal=Br.+J.+Anaesth.&volume=100&pages=747–758&doi=10.1093/bja/aen094), it refers to:

...opioid action on respiratory control centres in the brain...

(A case of the news reporter being in a rush?)

 

[Laroxe]

As far as I'm aware the problem with fentanyl is the number of deaths associated with its use while there has been a number of initiatives to limit its prescription this hasn't really helped.

This appears primarily due to the fact that the people dying are usually not the ones who have the drug prescribed. It may be stolen and taken on a one off basis, this hugely increases the chance of accidental overdose. Presumably the vaccine would only be used in addicts so would be no use in a one off experiment.

If it didn't effect the risk of overdose it wouldn't reduce deaths among addicts, it would just stop them enjoying it.

Apparently the real problem is with adulterated fentanyl produced illegally and imported, as the adulterants would be unknown, its unlikely the vaccine would have much effect.

Experience with drugs that induce very unpleasant effects when used to prevent alcohol abuse don't really suggest that this sort of strategy is particularly helpful. Vaccines like this are designed to control behaviour, which in itself is rather worrying, they tend to lead to a sort of reactance in the recipient, against this sort of coercive control. If the aim is to reduce the number of drug deaths it seems unlikely to help.

 

[Hornbein]

Addicts say that the physical addiction is the least of their problems. The real difficulty is that the addict doesn't have anything better to do. People must do something, and if you have nothing better to do than X then X is what you will be doing. That and their social life may revolve around the addiction. Kick the habit, lose all your friends. If you don't have family to step in then you are in a fix. Who will make friends with an recovering addict? They can't be trusted.