Rx Drugs Aid Opioid Addiction Treatment

(Winter 2017) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is once again pushing back against those who oppose medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for long-term addiction therapy. Going even further, the FDA is updating MAT drug labels to indicate that some patients may require the drug for extended periods, and others may need it for the rest of their lives to stay in recovery.

Some detractors say MAT is simply switching one drug for another. However, research backs the use of MAT. An individual who needs extended MAT for opioid addiction, even regimens that lead to physical dependence, does not develop an addiction to those medications and, with the drugs’ help, can become responsible and productive members of the community.

One recent MAT study indicated that a single, monthly shot is as effective as a daily dosage in averting the return to opioid addiction. Unlike the daily drug, though, days of detox are necessary before beginning the injection regimen. However, those who made it past that point found that the Vivitrol injection was as effective as the older, orally-administered medication, Suboxone. Researchers noted that in both medication groups, approximately 50% of the individuals who started treatment succumbed to their drug(s) of choice once again.

Presently, few addiction treatment programs offer Vivitrol or Suboxone. Facilities that favor the use of Suboxone liken it to a diabetic’s need for insulin, but others view it as only a substitution since one of the ingredients is an opioid that has a slight impact on mood and pain.

Vivitrol provides much more convenient access to treatment, especially for patients in rural areas, but it does come at a price. The injectable drug carries a monthly price of $1,000, while daily Suboxone users pay only about $100 per month.

So far, this study is the only one conducted in the U.S. that pits Vivitrol and Suboxone head-to-head, but a Norwegian experiment has corroborated the American findings. Experts continue to push forward with MAT activity; this past fall the FDA, the National Institutes of Health and a variety of drug makers created a partnership to develop more MAT options.

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