Vivitrol Approved to Treat Opiate Addiction

A drug previously approved for treating alcoholism has been given the go ahead to be marketed as a viable treatment for addiction to opiates, such as heroin and morphine.

Vivitrol,  manufactured by Alkermes Inc. works by blocking receptors in the brain that respond to the pleasurable effects of alcohol and drug abuse.   The FDA initially approved the drug in 2006 to treat alcoholism. 

Specifically, it is an extended release form of naltrexone and given via injection.  Although naltrexone is also available in pill form, an advantage of the injection is that it prevents the addict from having to make a daily decision to take a pill.

The FDA reviewed trial data showing that compared to addicts given a placebo, those who received injections of Vivitrol showed clean urine samples 90% of the time; those given the dummy drug gave opioid-free samples only 35% of the time.

The market response to Vivitrol’s approval was strong – shares increased 2.4% (37 cents) to $16.05 in aftermarket trading, according to a report by the Associated Press. 
Although addiction experts are happy about the FDA’s decision regarding Vivitrol, they maintain that it should be only one part of a treatment program that also provides counseling and/or group therapy. 

Some treatment facilities offer 12-step programs, while others also implement replacement therapy; addicts are given methadone to replace his or her opiate of choice.  Although this is a fairly common practice, methadone does not alleviate addiction, it simply replaces one drug for another.  Vivitrol virtually eliminates cravings entirely.

As has been reported by media outlets of late, prescription drug abuse has skyrocketed and become the nation’s number one drug problem.  Prescribed opiates include Vicodin, hydrocodone, oxycodone and oxycontin.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of ER visits related to drug overdose more than doubled between 2004 and 2008.  Interestingly, the number of admissions related to prescription drug abuse is 12 times higher than those linked to heroin overdose.