HOUSTON- The end to the fentanyl crisis possibly on the horizon, thanks to a team of researchers in Texas who claim to have successfully developed a vaccine that could be a “game changer” in addiction treatment.
A team led by University of Houston has developed a fentanyl vaccine that can block the synthetic opioid’s entry into the brain – essentially curing addiction by eliminating the euphoric high.
“No question. We have developed something that represents a new game changer,” said Dr. Colin Haile, a science associate professor of psychology at UH and the Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics (TIMES), recently told Fox News’ tour of the research facility.
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“It’s a completely different strategy to treat a person with opioid use disorder.”
your vaccine works in a completely different way, said Dr. Haile, than other treatments for opioid use disorders and overdose deaths.
dr Colin Haile (center, wearing glasses) is seen cleaning a sample in his lab at the University of Houston. He believes the fentanyl vaccine his team is developing can help people recover from addictions.
(Fox News Media)
It essentially produces antibodies, similar to how other vaccines produce antibodies against viruses or bacteria.
The vaccine by Dr. Haile does the same by preventing fentanyl from entering the user’s brain.
Proteins are used to keep the drug in the bloodstream – then it’s flushed out through the kidneys.
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“It’s similar to the hepatitis B vaccine. The vaccine stimulates the body to make antibodies against fentanyl,” said Dr. Haile, “and when a person takes fentanyl, these antibodies bind to the drug and prevent it from getting into the brain. “
He added, “Without the vaccine, fentanyl enters the brain fairly easily, stimulates euphoric centers, and can also stimulate parts of the brain that control breathing, leading to overdose and death.”
A lethal dose of fentanyl is pictured next to a penny.
(Drug Enforcement Agency)
Tests on lab rats and mice showed very promising results, Haile said, and he believes they will see the same results once human trials begin in the coming weeks.
“We did extensive studies in mice and rats and the effect of the vaccine was quite dramatic,” he says. We have shown that the vaccine prevents fentanyl from entering the brain. It keeps it in the blood. And then the fentanyl is removed from the body.”
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He believes the vaccine could be available to the public within two years, he said.
“Given that the vaccine already consists of components that are already on the market and have already been tested in humans, we hope that when it comes time to submit our application to the FDA, the approval process will be expedited.”
The team began work on the fentanyl vaccine almost six years ago.
dr Haile and his team began work on the vaccine nearly six years ago amid an unprecedented spike in overdose deaths. The vaccine was developed from two strands of protein previously used in other vaccine treatments.
Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have become the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States it is valued that over 110,000 occurred between August 2021 and August 2022 – a staggering record for a single 12-month period.
Haile and his team say human trials will begin soon. They are hoping for FDA approval within the next two years.
(Fox News Media)
With over 150 people dying every day from synthetic opioid overdoses, according to the CDC, the vaccine comes at a crucial time as the drug crisis sweeps the country.
“Unfortunately about 10 years ago the manufacturing of fentanyl was ramped up and it became much more part of the mainstream in terms of illicit drug markets to see it was first part of the drug supply and more recently just fully for every other illicit opioid to adopt ‘ Dr. Wilson Compton, associate director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which consults with Dr. Haile’s research team, told Fox News.
“So, heroin [use] decreasing in many parts of the country because fentanyl is cheaper and easier to smuggle and has the same effects on the brain.”
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The vaccine development was funded by the Department of Defense, where officials told Fox News the project was supported after the need to address the prevalence of addiction in the families of many military personnel.
“We need this vaccine … There are so many people who can be helped.”
dr Haile points out that this vaccine would be best for those who have already undergone detox as it will prevent recurrence.
“This vaccine is for people who want to quit. It’s not for people who don’t want to quit,” he says.
“A vaccinated person — if they don’t want to quit their opioid addiction, they can take other drugs, other opioid drugs, or just other drugs that vaccine antibodies won’t target.”
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People have already reached out to the University of Houston team, asking to be included in the upcoming studies — something Dr. Haile emphasizes the need for this treatment.
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“We need this. We need this vaccine. And there are so many people who can be helped,” he says.
“It has to happen and it will happen.”
Fox News’ Evan Goldman contributed to this report.