Earlier this year, Nabi Pharmaceuticals' NicVax received a fast-track designation by the Food and Drug Administration to speed up the development of the investigational vaccine against nicotine addiction. NicVax acts by binding to and preventing the entry of nicotine into the brain, thereby reducing the addictive effects of smoking.

The University of California San Francisco's Habit Abatement Clinic is now recruiting smokers to determine whether the vaccine can help people quit smoking and avoid a relapse within 12 months. Participation in the study requires a one-year commitment. The study will be sponsored by Nabi Pharmaceuticals and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.