Tobacco use is the single leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Nicotine is an alkaloid that is derived from the tobacco plant responsible for the psychoactive and addictive effects of smoking. Immunotherapy may be useful in preventing and treating nicotine dependent individuals. NicVAX is a nicotine vaccine, a type of immunotherapy that may be effective in smoking cessation and preventing relapse to nicotine. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of various dosing levels and dosing frequencies of NicVAX in treating nicotine dependent individuals.
Nicotine is highly addictive and many individuals are unable to quit smoking even with treatment. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of various doses of NicVAX in treating nicotine dependent individuals.