A vaccine designed to block fentanyl from entering the brain and producing a “high” is set to enter human clinical trials in 2025. Researchers at the University of Houston have already demonstrated the vaccine’s effectiveness in animal studies.
“We believe these findings could have a significant impact on a very serious problem plaguing society for years – opioid misuse,” said the study’s lead author Colin Haile in a UH press release.
The urgency of such a breakthrough is underscored by the alarming trend of fentanyl being increasingly mixed into illicit drugs, especially counterfeit prescription medications. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a public safety alert after laboratory tests revealed that seven out of every ten pills seized by the DEA contained a deadly dose of fentanyl.
In 2022 alone, nearly 108,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The anti-fentanyl antibodies were specific to fentanyl and a fentanyl derivative and did not cross-react with other opioids, such as morphine. That means a vaccinated person would still be able to be treated for pain relief with other opioids,” said Haile.
Despite the promising results, it could still take several years before the fentanyl vaccine becomes widely available. If the upcoming human trials are successful, further studies will be necessary, and it may be five to ten years before the vaccine reaches hospitals, according to The Daily Mail.
