More on the Potential Cocaine Vaccine
The trials on a possible cocaine vaccine may lead to promising new developments in Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). One piece of good news is that this vaccine may lead to more that reduce cravings for other drugs, like heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana for example. Also, the research to date indicates that we will learn more about how the addicted brain works.
MAT enhances outcomes in alcohol and drug treatment by reducing high-risk factors for relapse. The potential cocaine vaccine, and possible others down the road, could help patients focus more on treatment without the distraction of cravings. So even if this vaccine doesn’t succeed in trials, these advancements bring hope to those suffering from drug addiction.
Already, we’ve seen positive results from the use of Vivitrol for alcohol craving reduction. While these medications should not be considered a cure for alcoholism and drug addiction, they help individuals in treatment to achieve long-term recovery. The impact can be great in terms of having more recovering individuals participating positively to the community.
The following is a portion of an article posted on Behavioral Health Central’s website. The full article contains some very interesting details.
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It’s important to note that much of the cocaine use that continued was to test the blockade effect. This testing showed that euphoric effects were blocked even when if a participant used 10 times the amount of cocaine they used in the past. “They were describing that they were not getting a high from it, and then they eventually just ran out of money,” said Dr. Kosten. “So the optimal treatment will require repeated booster vaccinations in order to maintain these optimal antibody levels, probably every two to three months.”
Dr. Kosten indicated that most patients would need about two years of treatment, some perhaps even longer because of a history long-term cocaine use. He said, in the general population, many patients don’t show up for treatment until they’ve been dependent on cocaine for 6 to 8 years.
“It’s at about week eight in the vaccination process that [participants] are getting a sufficient level of these blocking antibodies present. For the future, we see this as a very promising step towards an effective medication for cocaine addiction.”
Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides medication assisted treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment. If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence or drug addiction, please call us now at 888-777-8565 or contact us here.
Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.