Cocaine Vaccine—Hope, Hype, or Profits?

by Heidi Stevenson

6 October 2009

Vaccinations for a mild flu, H1N1, and a herpes virus that the body normally clears by itself, Cervarix and Gardasil, apparently aren't enough. The hype has begun for a cocaine vaccine—one that only barely sorta works. But that little detail doesn't seem to bother the researchers.

A study done by a consortium of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Yale University School of Medicine has shown limited efficacy in preventing relapse into cocaine use, and used subjects who were taking methadone.

The Study

Of the 115 subjects enrolled in the trial, only 94 completed it. Over a 12 week period, they were given 5 vaccinations. They were followed for an additional 12 weeks. Blood levels of an anticocaine antibody were measured. Urine samples were taken three times a week to test for cocaine metabolites.

Only 38%—21 of the 55 subjects who received the active, instead of placebo, vaccine—reached the optimal level of anticocaine antibodies, defined as ≥43 µg/ml. The optimal results were achieve between weeks 9 and 16 of the study.

During the optimal weeks, 45% of those who'd achieved optimal antibody levels had cocaine-free urine tests. During the same time, subjects who received either placebo or achieved lower antibody levels had 35% cocaine-free urine tests.

After week 16, there was no distinction between those who'd achieved optimal antibody levels, those who hadn't, and those who'd received only placebo.

Effectiveness of the Vaccine

38% of the subjects see a 10% improvement—from 35% to 45%—for a period of 7 weeks, after getting 5 injections with a vaccine that utilizes recombinant technology

Let's try that again:

5 doses of a genetically-modified vaccine

10% improvement in being cocaine-free

Maximum of 7 weeks
Only 38% of the subjects

Only people who are also taking methadone.

Are you as underwhelmed as I am?

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