Development of vaccines to help treat drug dependence.

: The social and economic consequences of drug addiction are immense. Although many methods are adopted to treat addiction, including therapeutic intervention and counseling, the long-term success rate has been limited and there continues to be a need for more effective treatments. A novel approach that has sparked a significant degree of interest recently is the use of vaccines designed to raise specific antibodies against drugs of abuse. Antibodies that prevent addictive substances crossing the blood-brain barrier may prove to be an effective mechanism that will help prevent relapse during efforts to abstain from the drug. Proof-of-principle for this approach has been established in numerous animal models. Currently a cocaine vaccine is in phase II clinical trials and, more recently, two vaccines to nicotine have entered phase I trials. Key efficacy trials are required to establish the true potential of these therapeutic vaccines.