Scientists had invented a therapeutic vaccine Cytos002-NicQb that can curesmokers of their nicotine dependence and thus help them to quit smoking.
Swiss researchers for the study, in the annual meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology, had said that the vaccine for nicotine dependence had completed both its first and second phase of human trials successfully. The first phase of the study had the vaccine tested on 40 healthy non-smokers. The second phase had the vaccine tested on 300 smokers in a multi-center study.The results of the first phase showed that subjects had been able to abstain from smoking for a period of 3 months, after three months of the vaccination. Researchers had said that the vaccination with NicQb had been well tolerated and thus safe. The side effects had been limited to local reactions and flu like symptoms. All subjects thus immunized showed significant anti-nicotine IgG titers.
The results of the second phase of the trials also have shown that the vaccine had been able to cause continuous abstinence from nicotine till six months, without any urge to use chewing gums or nicotine patches.
If successful in all the continuing third phase of the trial, then the vaccine will go a long way in decreasing the risks of cancer and other diseases suffered by smokers.
