The fentanyl vaccine is poised to be a “game-changer” in the fight against addiction
Houston – End Fentanyl crisis It may be on the horizon thanks to a team of researchers in Texas who claim to have successfully developed a vaccine that could be a game-changer in addiction treatment.
led team University of Houston They have developed what they say is a fentanyl vaccine that can block synthetic opioids from entering the brain — essentially treating addiction by eliminating highs.
“There’s no question about it. We’ve developed something that’s a game-changer,” Dr. Colin Haley, an associate professor of psychology at UH and the Texas Institute of Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics (TIMES), told Fox News recently. Tour the research facility.
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“It’s a completely different strategy for treating an individual with an opioid use disorder.”
their vaccine It works in a very different way than other treatments for opioid use disorder and overdose deaths, Dr. Haley said.
Dr. Colin Haley (centre, wearing glasses) is seen here cleaning a sample in his lab at the University of Houston. He believes the fentanyl vaccine his team developed could help those struggling with addiction.
(Fox News Media)
It basically produces antibodies just like other vaccines make those antibodies against viruses or bacteria.
Dr. Hayley’s vaccine does the same thing by preventing fentanyl from entering the user’s brain.
Proteins are used to keep the drug in the bloodstream – then it is expelled through the kidneys.
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“It’s similar to the hepatitis B vaccine,” said Dr. Haley. “The vaccine triggers the body to make antibodies against fentanyl, and if an individual consumes fentanyl, these antibodies will stick to the drug and prevent it from entering the brain.”
He added, “Without the vaccine, fentanyl penetrates the brain quite easily, stimulating the centers of euphoria, and can also stimulate the parts of the brain that control breathing, leading to overdose and death.”
A lethal dose of fentanyl pictured next to a penny.
(Drug Enforcement Administration)
Tests on rats and mice have shown very promising results, Hailey said, and he believes they will see the same results once human trials begin in the coming weeks.
“We did extensive studies in mice and rats and the effect of the vaccine was very dramatic,” he says. We showed that the vaccine does, yes, prevent fentanyl from penetrating the brain. keep it in the blood. After that, the fentanyl is removed from the body.
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He said he believes a vaccine could be available to the public within two years.
“Because the vaccine already consists of ingredients that are already on the market and have already been tested in humans, we feel that when the time comes to submit our application to the FDA, we hope that the approval process will be expedited.”
The team began working on the fentanyl vaccine nearly six years ago.
Dr. Haley and his team began working on the vaccine nearly six years ago when an unprecedented rise in overdose deaths began to emerge. The vaccine was developed from two protein chips already used in other vaccine therapies.
Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have become the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States and It is estimated That more than 110,000 events occurred between August 2021 and August 2022 – an astounding 12-month record.
Hailey and his team say human trials will begin soon. They hope to get FDA approval within the next two years.
(Fox News Media)
With more than 150 people dying each day from synthetic opioid overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccine comes at a critical time as a drug crisis grips the country.
“Unfortunately, for about 10 years or so, the manufacture of fentanyl has increased, and it’s become a much larger part of the trend in terms of illicit drug markets, to see it first as a part of the drug supply and more recently, just completely,” said Dr. Wilson Compton, deputy director of the institute. National Drug Abuse, which consults with Dr. Haley’s research team, told Fox News.
So, heroin [use] It is declining in many parts of the country because fentanyl is cheaper, easier to smuggle in, and produces the same cerebral effects.”
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The development of the vaccine was funded by the Department of Defense, with officials telling Fox News to support the project after the need to address the spread of addiction among the families of many service members.
“We need this vaccine… There are so many people that can be helped.”
Dr. Hailey notes that this vaccine would be best for those who have already undergone a detox, as it will prevent relapses.
“This vaccine is for people who want to quit smoking. It’s not for people who don’t want to quit,” he says.
“An individual who has been vaccinated — if he doesn’t want to quit an opioid addiction, he can take other drugs, other opioid drugs, or other drugs that the vaccine antibodies don’t target.”
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People have already contacted the team at the University of Houston asking to be added to upcoming trials — something Dr. Haley says underscores the need for this treatment.
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“We need this. We need this vaccine. There are so many people that can be helped,” he says.
“It must happen, and it will happen.”
Fox News’ Evan Goldman contributed to this report.