Jes Burns | Oregon Public Broadcasting | September 10, 2026
University of Washington researchers plan to take a vaccine for fentanyl into human trials.
News & Stories
Researchers develop antibodies against xylazine’s harms
Vishva Nalamalapu | UW Medicine Newsroom | July 29, 2026
The antibodies target the fourth wave of the drug epidemic, as mixed drug use with sedative xylazine surges nationally. Angela Weiss/Getty Images Test strips can detect the presence of xylazine, which is often mixed with fentanyl.
Q&A: How UW researchers are using AI to speed up drug discovery and development
Alden Woods | UW News | July 22, 2026
The Institute for Innovations in Drug Delivery and Disposition (I2D3) is led by three UW faculty members: Gaurav Bhardwaj (left), associate professor of medicinal chemistry; Marco Pravetoni (center), professor of psychiatry and behavioral science in the UW School of Medicine; and Nina Isoherranen (right), the Milo Gibaldi Chair of Pharmaceutics.
A Fentanyl Vaccine Is About to Get Its First Major Test
WIRED | Emily Mullin | December 3, 2025
ARMR Sciences of New York is trialing a vaccine in the Netherlands to protect against fentanyl-related overdose and death.
Researchers probe whether vaccines could solve the opioid drug crisis
San Francisco Chronicle | Catherine Ho | October 2, 2023
New Opioid Vaccines Could Reduce Overdose and Save Lives
Right as Rain by UW Medicine | Emily Boynton | April 24, 2023
UW Medicine researchers are the first to reach phase I clinical trials with an opioid vaccine targeting oxycodone. The team is also preparing to test vaccines against heroin, fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in clinical trials next year.
UW Medicine researchers test vaccines for opioid addiction
Universty of Washington Magazine | Chris Talbott | February 25, 2023
Although treatment and understanding have evolved quickly, there are really only two ways to treat addiction: drugs that block or replace the effects of misused substances, and psychotherapy and psychosocial approaches. A vaccine would allow psychiatrists to attack the problem in a different way, blocking the effects of opioids and other substances such as methamphetamine […]
Could we vaccinate against opioid addiction? with Sandra Comer and Marco Pravetoni
UChicago News | Big Brains Podcast | March 17, 2022
The United States recently hit a grim milestone: More than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses between May 2020 and April 2021. The majority of those deaths were due to synthetic opioids, which have become more widely available in recent years. While medical interventions exist, the rise of opioid addiction has been difficult to prevent, […]
Could a vaccine prevent drug deaths and cure addiction? U.S. research draws mixed reaction in B.C.
CBC News | Liam Britten | January 27, 2022
Researchers say early results of drug-specific vaccines use antibodies to prevent high in users
To fight opioid crisis, UW researchers take new shot at developing vaccine against addictive drugs
The Seattle Times | Hannah Furfaro | January 2, 2022
Marco Pravetoni will lead the University of Washington’s new center devoted to developing vaccines and medications to be used against substance use disorders.