Researchers may have discovered a breakthrough vaccine for fentanyl — the drug at the heart of the opioid crisis
A group of researchers found a potential vaccine to block fentanyl from entering the brain.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, was introduced as a pain reliever in the 1960s; However, overdoses of the opioid have increased dramatically in recent years. The number of deaths from synthetic opioids, excluding methadone, increased by over 50% between 2019 and 2020, mainly due to the increase in illicit manufacturing of the drug, where it can be mixed with other illicit drugs to make them more potent and cheaper make. As little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on the person’s size and tolerance. Synthetic opioid overdoses result in over 150 deaths every day.
A team at the University of Houston that developed the new vaccine says it could alter how fentanyl works on the brain and eliminate the euphoric feelings it produces. They published their results in the journal pharmacy.
“We believe these findings could have a significant impact on a very serious problem that has plagued society for years – opioid abuse.” Our vaccine is able to produce anti-fentanyl antibodies, which attach to the fentanyl you take and prevent it from getting to the brain, allowing it to be excreted from the body through the kidneys. Thus, the individual will not feel the euphoric effects and can ‘get back on the wagon’ to sobriety,” said Colin Haile, the study’s lead author and associate science professor of psychology at UH and the Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics ( TIMES), in the university press release. The vaccine could help people quitting the drug. According to the authors, an estimated 80% of people who become dependent on the drug relapse. And it doesn’t help that the drug is readily available and often found in other medications.
“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our nation has ever faced,” said Anne Milgram, administrator of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, in a government post marking National Fentanyl Awareness Day this year. “Fentanyl is everywhere. From major metropolitan areas to rural America, no community is safe from this poison. We must use every opportunity to spread the word to prevent fentanyl overdose deaths and poisoning from claiming scores of American lives every day.”
The study found that while the antibodies generated by the vaccine target fentanyl, they do not minimize the effects of other drugs needed for potential pain treatment in patients.
“The anti-fentanyl antibodies were specific for fentanyl and a fentanyl derivative and did not show any cross-reactions with other opioids such as morphine. This means a vaccinated person could continue to be treated with other opioids for pain relief,” Haile said in the press release.
Because the study is being conducted on rats, it has limitations. It also helps curb the addiction of opioid addicts, but does not help in the event of a sudden overdose, for example. The researchers note that they plan to complete human clinical trials in the coming months.
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