The vaccine is designed to help produce anti-cocaine antibodies in the body of a person who is chemically dependent on the substance.
The vaccine works by triggering patients’ immune systems to produce antibodies that bind to cocaine molecules in the bloodstream, making them too large to pass into the brain’s mesolimbic system, or “reward centre,” where the drug normally stimulates high levels of pleasure-inducing dopamine.
This is an interesting approach to addiction treatment. The vaccine essentially makes the person “immune” to the effects of cocaine. I would assume this is to help prevent relapses, but I wonder if it would result in addicts resorting to other substances.
Vivitrol exists for alcohol and opiates. I’m not sure vivitrol works the same way this new shot does, however. There might be some studies or documentation on the effectiveness of this sort of treatment.
Sauce:
