Nicotine Vaccine

Cytos Biotechnology in Zurich, Switzerland completed phase II clinical trials of their vaccine candidate to treat nicotine addiction. A total of 341 male and female smokers aged 18 to 70 and who have been smoking between 10 and 40 cigarettes per day for at least 3 years received the vaccine treatment. One injection was given each month for a duration of 5 months. All treated patients developed an immunological response by producing anti-nicotine antibodies in their blood. Results showed a continuous abstinence from smoking in as many as 40% of the patients after 24 weeks after treatment. These are indeed very encouraging results, hopefully will this method soon find widespread and effecitve use in treating nicotine addiction. Lawyers and governments have long ago lost their battle against tobacco comapanies, perhaps science has a better chance.

You can read the full press release from Cytos as a PDF file. Interestingly, they are also developing an obesity vaccine.

More about the vaccine itself can be found here.

Check out the very popular thetruth.com, an excellent and entertaining anti-tobacco site.