A Vaccine Against Cocaine Addiction? Scientists Get $527k Grant To Develop It

By Lucía Tedesco via El Planteo, adapted for Benzinga

A team from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) has won a prestigious award, along with a €500,000 grant, for its groundbreaking initiative aimed at treating cocaine addiction in Brazil. The accolade was presented during the Euro Innovation in Health Award held in São Paulo, an event spearheaded by the multinational pharmaceutical company Eurofarma, boasting operations in over 20 countries.

The UFMG research team, led by Professor Frederico García from the Department of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine, was the proud recipient of the award. Addressing Brazilian society, Professor García underscored the myriad challenges faced by scientific endeavors in Latin America. "All that remains is to thank the support of our dean [Sandra Regina Goulart Almeida] and our Research Dean [Fernando Reis]," emphasized García.

The world waits with bated breath for Calixcoca, UFMG's pioneering initiative and now an award-winning vaccine poised to combat cocaine addiction. Garnering the top votes from physicians across 17 countries, Calixcoca stood tall among 11 other health-centric innovations in Latin America. Up until now, the project has relied on financing from the federal government, the Minas Gerais government, and parliamentary amendment funds. Its continuation hinges on further financial injections.

In scientific terms, the vaccine works by prompting the immune system to produce antibodies. These antibodies latch onto cocaine in the bloodstream, transmuting it into a sizeable molecule that cannot breach the blood-brain barrier. The project has successfully navigated preclinical stages, confirming both its safety and efficacy in treating cocaine addiction. It also holds the potential to prevent obstetric and fetal consequences from drug exposure during animal gestation.

“We understand the agony of having an addicted person at home. The torment of someone grappling with the decision to consume or abstain from drugs, and even more so for an addicted pregnant woman trying to shield her fetus and cope with the pain of withdrawal. Our mission addresses these challenges," Professor García was quoted saying by CNN.

Given its dedication to patients battling chemical dependency, especially focusing on pregnant women with addiction, the medical community eagerly anticipates further breakthroughs on this front.

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