Nabi Biopharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline team up to produce nicotine vaccine and help smokers kick the habit…

Anyone who’s ever been a smoker knows just how hard it is to quit. But thanks to a new vaccine that blocks the nicotine in tobacco from entering the brain, quitting could get soon get a lot easier.

NicVAX® (Nicotine Conjugate Vaccine) causes the body’s immune system to create antibodies that bind to nicotine in the bloodstream and making it too big to cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain. If the nicotine can’t get to the brain, the brain does not produce the positive-sensation stimulants associated with nicotine.

In trials, the drug, which is injected, has been shown to block the nicotine effects that can lead to or reinforce addiction. In fact, it can cut the number of people who go back to smoking after trying to quit in half.

The drug recently entered the first of two Phase III clinical trials. If successful, it could save thousands of lives.

"If approved, this smoking cessation vaccine technology could be a novel solution to help the millions of smokers who want to stop smoking and remain abstinent; a habit that is well documented to be very hard to stop permanently," said Jean Stephenne, President of GSK Biologicals. "This technology builds our capability in the therapeutic uses of vaccines and is a great addition to our smoking cessation portfolio."

NicVAX® developer Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: NABI?) has announced an exclusive deal with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA (NYSE: GSK) for the licensing of the drug.

GSK will pay Nabi an upfront non-refundable fee of $40 million at closing with an option to exclusively market NicVAX® worldwide and a license to develop follow-on next-generation nicotine vaccine using Nabi's intellectual property. Nabi is eligible to receive over $500 million in option fees and milestones for NicVAX® and follow-on nicotine vaccine as well as double digit royalties. (Militza Richard, Edited by Gabe Perna)

According to the American Cancer Society, stated that 70 percent of the 44 million American smokers have a desire to quit and of those, 40 percent do actually quit each year. But only a mere 4-7 percent successfully gives up the habit permanently.

The nicotine vaccine could be the most successful stop smoking therapy on the market due to the fact that it can help smokers to permanently quit. Relapse rates for smokers that try to quit can be as high as 90% during the first year with current anti smoking therapies.

Highlights

• Vaccine is being tried on a large group in clinical trials to determine effectiveness
• It helps the body to create antibodies that keep the brain from absorbing nicotine
• Most Americans that smoke want to quit but have been unsuccessful

Source: HealthCareDigital.Com

Advertisements