Calixcoca is an experimental vaccine to treat cocaine and crack cocaine addiction. It has been in development since 2015 by the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil. [1]
The vaccine was created by a team led by Frederico Garcia, professor in the Department of Mental Health at the UFMG Faculty of Medicine. He says that the motivation for the work came from seeing the suffering of pregnant women addicted to cocaine who arrived at the university's outpatient clinic. The active ingredient of the vaccine (V4N2) was designed and synthesized by the synthesis group headed by professor Ângelo de Fátima, from the Department of Chemistry at UFMG. [1]
During the pre-clinical phase, the investment was made by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Minas Gerais Research Support Foundation (Fapemig). [2]
On June 1, 2023, the city of São Paulo announced the initial investment of R$4 million in accelerating vaccine research. [3]
Calixcoca, unlike other anti-cocaine vaccines, is not protein-based. [2] The material that forms the basis of the vaccine is the V4N2 molecule. [4] This molecule stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies that bind to cocaine molecules in the blood. Cocaine molecules that are bound to these antibodies are too large to pass the blood-brain barrier and thus cannot reach the brain and cannot cause psychological effects in the user. [1] [5]
Pre-clinical studies carried out with mice showed the production of anti-cocaine antibodies in the animals' organism. In addition to making the effects of the drug imperceptible to the mice, the vaccine also reduced the number of spontaneous abortions, and the pups were born healthier and with greater resistance to the drug. [1]
Calixcoca was selected as one of the finalists in the Euro Health Innovation Award (2023), [1] winning the award in October of that year. [6]
Minas Gerais is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 census. Located in the Southeast Region of the country, it is limited to south and southwest with São Paulo; Mato Grosso do Sul to the west; Goiás and the Federal District to the northwest; Bahia to the north and northeast; Espírito Santo to the east; and Rio de Janeiro to the southeast. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte, is a major urban and finance center in Brazil, being the sixth most populous municipality in the country while its metropolitan area ranks as the third largest in Brazil with just over 5.8 million inhabitants, after those of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Minas Gerais' territory is subdivided into 853 municipalities, the largest number among Brazilian states.
The Federal University of Minas Gerais is a federal research university located in the state of Minas Gerais. Its main and biggest campus is located in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. It is one of Brazil's five largest and highest-ranked universities,. It offers 79 undergraduate education programs, upon completion of their curricular schedule the student is awarded either a bachelor's degree, a licenciate degree, or a professional title, all officialized by the issue of a university diploma. It also has 90 postgraduate education programs, awarding 30 postbaccalaureate specialization degrees, 92 master's degrees, and 72 doctoral degrees, as well as 41 medical residency programs offered at UFMG's hospital facilities complexes. The university also has campi at Tiradentes and Montes Claros. Most courses, however, are taught at the main campus, located in the Pampulha district of Belo Horizonte.
Aécio Neves da Cunha is a Brazilian economist, politician and former president of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB). He was the 17th Governor of Minas Gerais from 1 January 2003 to 31 March 2010, and is currently a member of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies. He lost in the runoff presidential election against Dilma Rousseff in 2014.
The Southeast Region of Brazil is composed of the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. It is the richest region of the country, responsible for approximately 60% of the Brazilian GDP, as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais are the three richest states of Brazil, the top three Brazilian states in terms of GDP. The Southeast of Brazil also has the highest GDP per capita among all Brazilian regions.
Saul Alves Martins was a Brazilian anthropologist and folklorist, professor of Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). Formed in Social Sciences, master and doctor in the area and for years devoted himself to the study and teaching of anthropology, with an emphasis on folklore and the tradition of Minas Gerais.
Nivio Ziviani is a Brazilian researcher and computer scientist who was born in the city of Belo Horizonte on August 27, 1946, holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, 1971, a master's degree in informatics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, 1976, and a Ph.D. degree in computer science from the University of Waterloo, 1982. As a researcher, he is known for his projects in information retrieval and recommendation systems. In 2011, he received the Scientific Merit Award from the Brazilian Computer Society. Ziviani has Erdös number 2. Currently, he is an emeritus professor in the Computer Science department of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, he is part of the National Order of Scientific Merit in the Commendator class, and coordinates the Laboratory for Treating Information (LATIN).
Messias Pereira Donato was a Brazilian lawyer, teacher, writer, philosopher, magistrate and jurist. Born in Bahia, graduated in law at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), having held the judiciary work in Minas Gerais (MG) over 20 years, teaching for 22 years, as Professor of Labour Law Holder UFMG, having been Director of the Law School. In 1934, at age 13, was taken by his father, the farmer Henrique Pereira Donato, of Guanambi until Malhada- BA on the banks of the São Francisco River. Covered about 110 km mounted "by mule" a journey that took three days. From Malhada followed alone steam to Pirapora - MG and this came from railroad train to the end of twelve days of travel to get to Belo Horizonte, where he continued his studies.
Ivone Guimarães Batista Lopes was a Brazilian professor, suffragist and activist. She along with Celina Guimarães Viana and Miêtta Santiago were the first women to vote in Brazil.
The Federal University of Minas Gerais Ecological Station is an ecological station in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Izabela Silva Campos is a Brazilian visually impaired F11/12 shot putter and discus thrower. She won a bronze medal in the discus throw at the 2016 Summer Paralympics. She qualified for the 2020 Summer Paralympics, in Women's discus throw.
Júnia Ferreira Furtado is a Brazilian historian and university professor. She retired from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) in 2016.
Britaldo Silveira Soares Filho is a Brazilian scientist, and Professor in Environment Modeling at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Britaldo is one of winners of the Georg Foster Research Awards because "he has developed innovative methods in the field of geography and cartography which make it possible to precisely predict how tropical rainforests – such as in the Amazon basin – will develop. Based on these models, the government of Brazil has implemented a variety of protective measures and is planning more for the future."
Events in the year 2021 in Brazil.
Sylvio Carvalho de Vasconcellos was a Brazilian architect and architectural historian, also recognized as one of the pioneers of Brazilian modernist architecture in the state of Minas Gerais.
The COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Brazil is an ongoing mass immunization campaign for the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. It started on January 17, 2021, when the country had 210 thousand deaths.
The 2021 Minas Gerais prostitute strike was a labor strike involving several thousand prostitutes in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The strike was organized by the Associação das Prostitutas de Minas Gerais and ran for about a week in early April. Occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, the goal of the strike was to pressure the Ministry of Health into categorizing sex workers among other priority groups for immunization against COVID-19. Several protests occurred in the state's capital city of Belo Horizonte. Despite the strike, the Ministry of Health did not add sex workers as a priority group for vaccines.
Mário Alberto Perini is a Brazilian linguist known mainly for his work on the description of Brazilian Portuguese. He is professor emeritus at the Federal University of Minas Gerais; he has also taught at the University of Illinois and at the University of Mississippi. In 2021, Perini was elected Honorary Member of the Brazilian Linguistics Association.
Maria Josefina de Vasconcellos, often referred to as Jô Vasconcellos, is a Brazilian architect, urban planner, and landscape designer. She has designed several important buildings and complexes in the city of Belo Horizonte, including the Centro de Cultura Presidente Itamar Franco and the Rainha da Sucata Building
Isabella Gonçalves Miranda, better known as Bella Gonçalves, is a Brazilian political scientist and politician. She served as a city councilor in Belo Horizonte representing the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL). Isabella also held the position of president of the city section of PSOL and was an active member of the Brigadas Populares, advocating for the right to the city. Notably, she became the first openly lesbian city councilor in Belo Horizonte. She was elected as a State Representative of Minas Gerais in 2022.