There’s got to be an easier way to kick the habit. Cytos Biotechnology’s anti-smoking vaccine missed its main target in a mid-stage study, making it highly unlikely the product will reach the market, Reuters reports.

The vaccine aims to help smokers kick the habit by preventing nicotine from entering the brain, depriving them of the satisfaction many associate with smoking, the news service notes. But the vaccine failed to show a statistically significant difference in continuous abstinence from smoking determined from weeks eight to 12 after start of treatment, compared with a placebo.

As a result, the Swiss company will now probably miss a milestone payment from Novartis, its partner, and analysts say Cytos will struggle to finance itself and pay debt. Novartis, which bought the rights to the vaccine in 2007, is continuing the study and will decide on next steps once the scheduled 12-month duration of the trial is completed. But analysts think it highly unlikely the vaccine would show clinical benefits after a longer period.