Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla have developed what seems to be an effective vaccine against methamphetamine addiction.

Meth is one of the most widely abused and most frequently developed illegal synthetic drugs in the U.S. Its popularity has risen in recent years, especially in the Midwestern states. Today, there are an estimated total of 430,000 meth users in the country. The vaccine, six years in the making, offers a possible treatment for those with addiction to the drug. When tested on lab animals during the initial stages of research, the vaccine blocked two main effects of meth: high energy levels and increased body temperature.

The compound MH6 in the vaccine prevents meth from reaching the nervous system. MH6 stimulates the immune system into creating antibodies so the meth doesn’t reach the brain. The effects of the vaccine are short-lived, as they only last weeks instead of years. In order for the vaccine to be effective, it must be re injected multiple times to combat meth addiction.

The vaccine has not yet been tested on humans but has shown promising results in laboratory animals. The results so far are comparable to those of other vaccines developed to combat substance abuse, such as the vaccines available through clinical trials battling cocaine and nicotine addiction. As for this latest innovation in science, Kim Janda, the Ely R. Callaway junior professor of chemistry and member of the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology at TSRI said the meth vaccine is “a good step forward.”