Nanoparticle Opioid Vaccine Shows Promise in Mice

Virginia Tech researchers developed a hybrid lipid-polymer nanoparticle vaccine that blocks oxycodone and fentanyl from reaching the brain. In mice, the vaccine produced a stronger immune response, and pairing a fentanyl vaccine with an adjuvant restored its effectiveness. The findings appear in the Journal of Controlled Release.

• The vaccine is coated with oxycodone or fentanyl molecules to trigger antibody production
• Antibodies are meant to stop the opioid crossing the blood-brain barrier, blunting euphoria
• Antibody protection lasts several months, with a goal of up to a year
• US opioid overdose deaths exceed 100,000 a year