At least, that's how it works in animals so far. Antibodies could be used to treat an overdose or block a drug's effects for a longer period, perhaps a month or more. Both PCP and methamphetamine last for days in the body, unlike cocaine, which is metabolized in 20 minutes or so. PCP intoxication can be fatal, and both it and amphetamine psychosis can leave permanent mental scars, said Frank Vocci, head of medications development for the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Alcoholism . The ability to bind the drugs to antibodies could be a major leap forward in treating them, he said.
Cocaine addiction is a much bigger and trickier problem.
More than 2 million people need treatment. About 900,000 a year start treatment, but at least three-quarters go back to the drug, Vocci said. Scientists involved in the research discussed their work Monday at a meeting of American Chemical Association in New Orleans. Already, one cocaine vaccine, developed by a biomedical company in Massachusetts, is being tried on people at a Connecticut clinic. So far, only the safety has been tested, and it had virtually no side effects, said Dr. Thomas Kosten, a psychiatry professor at Yale University and chief of psychiatry for the Veterans Administration in Connecticut.