The Washington Post reports the would-be wonder vaccine from Nabi Biopharmaceuticals is close to being picked up by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline.
Reporter Mike Musgrove writes:
For many years, the standard treatment for breaking a smoker's dependence on nicotine has been patches or gum that contain declining dosages of the substance in an effort to wean addicts off their dependence.
Nabi's experimental vaccine, a decade in the works, tries a more direct approach: It shuts down nicotine's access to the brain. Smokers may light up a cigarette while on NicVax, but if the drug works as intended, they won't feel any of the stimulating effects they crave from nicotine.
I think I might buy some of this stuff and use it to inject bothersome smokers at random. Smokers, how much would you pay to be able to needle your way out of your habit?
Smoking vaccine takes new approach [Washington Post, via The Awl]
]]>I never had nightmares on Chantix, though I had really strange vivid dreams on the patch. I tried taking it off at night, same thing. I was finally able to quit about a month ago when new hubby & I decided starting our married lives together would be better without cigarettes. We support each other and it hasn't been that bad, to tell the truth. I think about smoking almost every day about a half hour before I leave work, but I can get through it.
]]>Not all smokers are assholes; you only NOTICE the assholes.
]]>Definition of a vaccine: A preparation of a weakened or killed pathogen, such as a bacterium or virus, or of a portion of the pathogen's structure that upon administration stimulates antibody production or cellular immunity against the pathogen but is incapable of causing severe infection.
This is all marketing hype.
]]>- first time thought I could smoke my wifes cigarette - social event.
- second on Burbon St. in New Orleans, a cigar pusher rolling the cigars - damn it was good! But I started smoking . . ..
This time, I hope . . . I hope you might see what happened to me so please be careful.
]]>Anyways: There seems to be some misunderstanding in this thread about exactly how Zyban (new sexy name) / Wellbutrin (old busted name) / bupropion (cheap [about $25/mo @ WM] equally-effective generic) actually works...
Y'see, bupropion actually attacks the nicotine receptors in the brain. When the drug is metabolized, the resulting product (the technical term is, I believe, "stuff") latches onto those nasty little receptors, preventing them from taking on any nicotine. After a little while (usually a few days), these receptors actually die and break off, and are removed from the body like any other waste.
This drug can be quite effective, but as others have pointed out, you can't always depend on it to kill the urge entirely. You have to want to quit; bupropion just help you do it... sometimes.
As for NicVax itself, I would wait for the first few rounds of public trials to demonstrate safety and efficacy before I would give it a shot.
And for all you smoka-haytas out there, bear with us, please. Most of us are even more sick of it than you are... literally!
]]>On the other hand, I really do hope this works for those that need + want help to stop.
]]>I quit cold turkey in February, and haven't relapsed yet. It's not enough to pop a pill or stick on a patch... you REALLY have to want it.
The hardest part was realizing that in order to quit smoking; I would also need to quit drinking (which was a daily thing for me as well). It's not easy cutting your body off from 2 chemicals that it would receive pretty much daily.
]]>Quit smoking. Don't have a cigarette for a year. Stress situation hits, without even realizing it, you can look down and see a half smoked cigarette in your hand.
]]>They've proven that it is more addicting than heroin. There are no treatment centers, support groups, like you stated. No help whatsoever. Nothing is covered by insurance; pills, medications, and patches are DAMN expensive, do not always work, etc. And all the help we ever get is recommendations to "just quit" from everybody, including doctors. It's not that simple.
We're all on our own, except for one day a year during the "smoke out". Big whoop. That's the time that all the zanies really get on our backs, and NOT in a nice supportive way, usually up in our faces saying what dirty pigs we are, or something along those lines. Some of them, I WOULD like to put a butt out in their eye, like somebody else here said. We need help and support, not prodding with a sharp stick.
]]>That reminds me of all the needle attacks in China where people were trying to spread diseases by stabbing random strangers with infected syringes.
]]>Hell, I also used to be fat, and I still want to eat sometimes when I'm not hungry. It's more about habits than anything else.
]]>I simply inject good values and information on health risks in my children to keep them from smoking. And every once in a while, some good, old-fashioned fear.
It's worked so far.
]]>It cost less than cigarettes, it had fewer side effects, and once I took it for 3 months it was all over. Haven't smoked a puff since in almost 3 years now.
]]>I've never seen a more selfish and inconsiderate group of people.
]]>This is at present still an option, and available. Due to the cig industry pushing the FDA to blackball something they want money from, it may not be available ten years from now. The FDA even did a hit piece on e-cig with broken comments regarding one chinese maker's product. This will leave potential users of e-cigs with no option but to go back to (after-all nicotine is still a poison) much more toxic real cig. Thousands of fewer chemicals, including the burn residue from the plant, mandated slower burn paper, and other chemicals is still not enough reason for Anti-Smoke people to accept the e-cig as a valid alternative.
Much of this is available from US and EU sellers. The liquid can also be mixed from US and EU sources instead of trusting chinese mass production sources for safe mixes.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ has almost all you need to know and discussions on all sides.
I just do not want any option to go without your attention if you are having difficulties.
]]>Read directly from the medical sheets that came in the box of Chantix, the medicine bonds to nicotine molecules in your system and prevents them from activating the nicotine receptors in your brain.
As for shutting off the pleasure centers in your brain, thats a bit of an exaggeration. I was warned however that Chantix can have a mood leveling effect on people with stress or anxiety disorders, and honestly I've been a little more even-tempered. I guess its time to see the good ole' doc again after I'm finished with Chantrix!
]]>I'd probably give it a try.
]]>One should note that similar products to NicVax have been developed for alcoholics many years ago that basically blocked all the effects of alcohol. None of them had much success. Of course, alcoholism is a much different animal than nicotine addiction.
]]>I have a problem with idea of this drug. With my limited (but somewhat educated understanding) this works by blocking receptors in the brain that accept nicotine. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't those same receptors accept other chemicals that cause pleasure as well?
The only success I've had with quitting smoking is cold turkey, preferably when I have a few days where I can avoid people.
]]>Wonder if the insurance companies won't cover this med, just like Chantix. It's an expensive drug and my health ins company does see the need to help me quit. That's the story I would like to see on here.
FYI, many smoker hate smoking. The whole putting them down thing, doesn't help at all. In fact makes us want to smoke around those people more. It's a serious addiction, many believe harder than alcohol and cocaine to quit. For me personally, that's true. Yet, alcohol and cocaine addicts have treatment centers, but not smokers.
]]>I think this might work in the long run, but it does seem like it would be a really miserable way to quit. It doesn't help you deal with the cravings.. it just shuts off the reward.
Thankfully this is one thing I don't have to worry about. I never fell for it when the "cool kids" offered.
]]>YAY! more militant non-smokers! sorry, phil, your freebie day to beat on smokers without penalty was last week. hit me with a needle at random & i'll put my butt out in your eye.
]]>What I don't get though, is if this drug inhibits your response to nicotine, you'll still have the craving. I feel like this would probably work but probably be a pretty miserable experience for the person trying to quit...at least if you go cold turkey you have the option to sate the craving if you want, if you do this then you just have to suffer. I guess that's both good and bad.
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