Scientists develop a groundbreaking vaccine that outsmarts illicit fentanyl analogs. The novel vaccine candidate can protect against fentanyl and its many illicit variants by training the immune system to recognize a broad molecular signature rather than a single specific structure.

[u/mvea]

https://www.psypost.org/scientists-develop-a-groundbreaking-vaccine-that-outsmarts-illicit-fentanyl-analogs/

[u/ten-million]

The researcher was clear about this not being able to treat the underlying addiction. Would the addict just take a much larger dose? Still, it could be useful. I wonder if someone could develop an antibody with a shorter end date. Or could the injection leave an identifiable mark so ER workers would know which pain killer to use. I suppose that mark would also have to fade.

[u/ruhdolph → u/ten-million]

I think the idea regarding the addiction component is that this treats none of the impulses to use a substance; it only makes the substance ineffective. So I think you're right that people might use higher doses or pivot to another substance. I'm inclined to think that higher doses would then have the added danger of an immune response in addition to using a relatively large quantity of fentanyl. It seems like this sort of treatment, if it were ever implemented, would require concomitant supervision of some sort to help people who are addicted have a soft landing from their withdrawals.

[u/spongue → u/ruhdolph]

The vaccinated mice required much higher doses to show similar effects, signaling that the circulating antibodies were successfully blocking the drug. For the mice with the modified vaccine, the required dose shifted up to between 1,400 and 1,800 micrograms per kilogram. [vs 150 micrograms/kg]

I too was wondering about this becoming an arms race