US researchers devise antidote for cocaine overdose

Researchers in the US have created an injectable solution that could help to reverse the effects of cocaine overdoses in emergency situations.

The Scripps Research Institute project has created a modified version of the human antibody known as GNCgzk that has been shown to protect lab mice against cocaine doses that would be fatal to those without protection.

Led by Dr Kim Janda, the team has been developing candidate drugs against cocaine, heroin, nicotine and Rohypnol for some time, but these have mostly been active vaccines that offer long-term antibody responses to prevent addiction and relapses.

By contrast, the new therapy could reduce the immediate effects of an otherwise lethal overdose and also prevent near-term relapses, making it potentially useful in detox programmes as well as emergency settings.

Dr Janda said: "It's a human antibody so it should be relatively safe, it has a superior affinity for cocaine and we examined it in a cocaine overdose model that mirrors a real-life scenario."

Health risks associated with cocaine usage include severe damage to the heart, nasal passages and lungs, while users of the drug often mix it with other substances such as heroin and alcohol, creating even more harmful effects.