Active immunopharmacotherapy for methamphetamine reduces self‐administration in rats

Abstract

At present, there are no approved pharmacotherapies for methamphetamine addiction and existing therapies have limited effect. Recent successes in early clinical trials using immunotherapeutic approaches for cocaine and nicotine addiction have motivated interest in creating similar approaches for methamphetamine (METH) addiction. The current study investigated the effects of a candidate vaccine (MH6) shown to produce METH specific antibodies in mice on METH self‐administration in Sprague Dawley rats. Groups of rats were pretreated with MH6 (n=18) or control vaccine (KLH; n=18) during a 13‐week dosing regimen. This consisted of a priming dose followed by 4 booster doses at 2, 5, 9, and 13 weeks after the prime. Stable, high antibody titers were produced. Subsequently, the effects of vaccination on METH self‐administration were assessed across a range of doses (0.0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.25 mg/kg/inf). In general, vaccinated rats self‐administered less METH than non‐vaccinated rats, although different patterns were observed depending on whether the rats were pellet trained prior to initiation of the self‐administration procedure. These data provide evidence that active immunopharmacotherapy can provide functional protection against the behavioral effects of METH.