Nicotine vaccine is coming?

A vaccine aimed at helping people quit smoking by blunting the effects of nicotine showing some positive results. The vaccine is designed to make the body produce immune system chemicals called antibodies that stop nicotine from getting to the brain and producing its pleasurable effects.

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals said 16 percent of volunteers vaccinated with the highest dose were able to quit smoking for 12 months, compared with 6 percent of those who got a placebo shot. Fourteen percent who got a lower dose stopped smoking for at least a year, compared with 6 percent on the placebo, said Dr. Stephen Rennard of the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

"This development is key for the field of smoking cessation research and could have a significant impact on how we treat patients with nicotine addiction," said Rennard, who presented his findings to a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida. via Reuters