A Shot of Hope – a Cocaine Vaccine
Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by Liz in Marketing, Substance Abuse
A husband-wife duo, Drs. Thomas and Theresa Kosten, at Baylor College of Medicine’s (BCM) Menniger Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences have developed a promising cocaine vaccine and are working on similar vaccines for methamphetamine and nicotine addiction.
“We are both interested in developing medications to treat addictions,” said Dr. Thomas Kosten. “One attraction for me is the immense social implications of the area.”
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 22.2 million people in the US were classified with substance dependence or abuse in 2005. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that addiction costs the nation $484 billion a year, almost three times as much as cancer.
This is great news for those patients that struggle with chronic mental illness that self-medicate with street drugs, for those that have struggled with chronic addiction, and for those with dual diagnosis.
For more information: http://spotlight.vitals.com/2009/10/dr-thomas-kosten-%E2%80%93-a-vaccine-that-prevents-cocaine-highs/
Liz Davis, MA, LPC
a PHP Director in Dallas, Texas