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February 12, 2019

Vaccine aims to prevent drug deaths

PHOTO | Contributed Candy Hwang, assistant professor at Southern Connecticut State University
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

The opioid crisis is claiming a growing number of lives each year, but a potential vaccine may help reverse this trend.

According to the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, there were 1,038 accidental drug intoxication deaths in Connecticut in 2017, and this number is projected to be 1,030 for 2018. That translates to about three each day in the state. The numbers have been increasing in recent years. In contrast, there were 355 overdose deaths in 2012.

The vaccine would prevent an individual from feeling any euphoria from drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, according to Candy Hwang, an assistant professor of chemistry at Southern Connecticut State University.

Hwang was part of a team which developed the vaccine at the Scripps Research Institute.

The vaccine trains the immune system’s antibodies to recognize and bind to the drug molecules, blocking them from ever reaching the brain and causing a “high,” according to a press release.

“The hope is that it would help stop the habit loop and prevent overdoses,” Hwang said. “If you have this vaccine, when you use these drugs, you don’t get the high and don’t overdose.”

According to Hwang, it could help recovering addicts. If their bodies no longer get the reward of a high from opioid use, they might be less likely to relapse, she said.

“Most overdoses happen when a person quits and then comes back to drugs,” Hwang said. “Addicts who want to recover would be eligible for the vaccine.”

Hwang acknowledged that individuals specifically looking for a euphoric feeling from drug use would probably not seek out such a vaccine. Therefore, it would likely find a market for those in recovery, rather than current active drug abusers, she said.

The vaccine also could be a potential prophylactic for emergency responders such as police and medical personnel. Hwang also foresees it protecting police canines who might be exposed while searching for drugs.

The vaccine has seen positive results in animal testing, including in mice and monkeys, according to Hwang. She said it is still likely years before it will be tested in humans.The hope is for the vaccine to be produced at a much larger scale so human testing can be performed, which would help researchers evaluate the vaccine’s potential side effects, Hwang said. The vaccine would still need to be reviewed and approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration before it would be available for market.

Hwang’s hope is that the vaccine will join drugs like Naloxone, or Narcan, an overdose-reversal drug, in helping to reduce the number of opioid-related fatalities.

Pam Mautte, director of the Alliance for Prevention & Wellness, a program of BHCare, said Connecticut is losing an average of two to three people each day to the opioid epidemic.

“I think there is potential for this vaccine to be a game changer,” Mautte said. “It could really help people suffering from addiction and first responders as well.”

Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@NewHavenBiz.com

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