A few years back, there was a breakthrough nicotine vaccine launched in the market that aimed to help quitters an easy way out of the habit. It aimed to end the addiction through reducing the amount of nicotine that binds to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors or nAChRs. The vaccine shot is supposed to decrease the need to smoke and to reduce cravings. With a great number of smokers in the world, it is a wonder as to why the vaccine isn’t a household name nowadays.
If you are desperate to find a quit smoking solution for yourself or a love one, find out more about it and why it did not reach your ‘medicine cabinet.’
The Quit Smoking Shot: An Overview
The vaccine is a one-time injection of a nicotine chemical derivative linked to a protein; it is supposed to induce an immune response. In simpler terms, the shot suppresses the body’s capabilities of enjoying the pleasure caused by nicotine consumption by decreasing the amount of nicotine that enters the brain. Other similar products are already in the market when this vaccine was first developed, but the quit smoking shot is still exceptional.
Since it is a one-time injection, it promises a permanent decision of blood chemistry alteration causing the decreased absorption of nicotine in the brain. Once the shot is taken, there is no turning back. The shot became known as a quit smoking vaccine; it was received with varied reactions from the public. Some parents even wanted the vaccine to be given to children to ultimately avoid smoking addiction. There were many reactions and usage planning causing quite a stir back then.
With all the publicity the vaccine manufacturers still had a big task at hand: prove that the vaccine actually works even before the product hit the market.
What Happened Next?
The vaccine, eventually named ‘NicVax,’ is powered by the bio-pharmaceutical company Nabi. It is a bit pricey, but the investment showed signs of promise.
Initial testing positively showed a potential for smokers to quit, but with some side effects. However, further testing and studies showed that the vaccine could not hold out on its own. There were certain factors that affected the effectiveness of the vaccine. Smokers who had positive results needed to manifest a certain response to the antibodies; not all smokers had the same response.
The final stage of testing became more intense with a one year time frame. A bigger control group was tested with a goal of making the vaccinated group to be non-smokers after a year. After the time frame, subjects who were vaccinated manifested similar success rates with subjects from the non-vaccinated group; not too impressive. This only meant one thing, NicVax failed even if side effects were minimal.
Quit Smoking Shot Moving Forward
So what lies in the future for the vaccine to quit smoking? The current NicVax form is still not a feasible option as of the moment. However, studies are still ongoing for vaccines with the same goal; to stop nicotine from reaching the brain.
There has been news regarding another biopharmaceutical company called BioTech that has been funded for similar nicotine vaccination research now names as SEL-068. So far, little is known about the latest stop smoking vaccine except that it is synthetic and utilizes nanotechnology.
Quitting smoking is something all smokers must do at a certain point in their lives. It will not be an easy one, but it can be with a ‘magic bullet’ like a quit smoking vaccine shot or a pill. Given time, more research and clinical trials, there is a good chance that it will eventually be a viable option for smokers, but not yet.
At this point, it seems they need to go through the harder route using Nicotine Replacement Therapies or Quit Smoking Aids. With a strong determination, the right information and support, becoming a successful quitter will not be farfetched.