Jump to full article: Media Newswire USA Edition, 2009-11-02
Intro: Efforts to develop a vaccine capable of preventing tobacco addiction got a $10-million shot in the arm in the form of an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant. The award to Nabi Biopharmaceuticals of Rockville, Md., was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse ( NIDA ), part of the National Institutes of Health.
The Recovery Act funds will help pay for the first pivotal phase III trial of NicVAX, an injectable vaccine intended to help people quit smoking and prevent them from relapsing. The grant enables Nabi to retain its current staff as well as support 150 jobs at NicVAX research sites around the country.
Successful completion of the study will bring the vaccine closer to final approval. Already given fast track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, NicVAX passed initial regulatory hurdles showing the basic idea is sound. Patients in the trial get six monthly shots in the arm.
Earlier results show that smokers using the vaccine had higher rates of quitting and longer term cigarette abstinence than those given a placebo.
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