Monday, November 9, 2009

Growing excitement about NicVAX


NicVAX® (Nicotine Conjugate Vaccine) is an investigational vaccine designed as an aid to smoking cessation, as well as an aid to prevent relapses of a treated smoker. If you go and look on ClinicalTrials.gov, you'll see about 6 studies (some are completed, some are recruiting, and some are active) evaluating NicVAX. According to a recent article on CNN,
The National Institute on Drug Abuse, a division of the National Institutes of Health, gave Nabi BioPharmaceuticals a $10 million grant to take its anti-nicotine vaccine, NicVAX, to Phase III clinical trials.
Wow, it's usually the other way around. Drug companies are usually providing grants, not receiving them. Vaccine technology has revolutionized the way we can treat patients. If we can vaccinate people against nicotine, imagine what else we can do!

Personally, I really hope that we see more effective smoking cessation resources in the future. I've worked on consumer-based smoking cessation programs and I've spent a fair amount of time counseling individuals to help them quit. Smokers are at different stages of change and it's crucial to tailor your message based on their stage (pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance).

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