Tomorrow, the FDA will review drug-trial data on Probuphine. This is an injectable Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT) that consists of buprenorphine and naloxone (the same medications that make up suboxone).This is far better than suboxone pills or strips, as it guarantees the patient is getting the proper dose and is not diverting it. The success rate reported in the clinical trials (which must always be taken with some skepticism) are incredible, and I very much hope to see that this drug will become widely available.
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This medication, like Suboxone or Vivitrol, should be accompanied with weekly drug tests and counseling. Currently, one can be prescribed those medications and not have to get drug tested or counseling. Suggesting, rather than requiring, drug testing and counseling is the central failure of the 2000 Drug Abuse Treatment Act (which brought Suboxone to the US market).
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UPI reported on this today. Some highlights from the article:
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Probuphine contains buprenorphine and naloxone and is implanted for treatment for six months. Dosage can be personalized for each patient, allowing a continuous stream of medication to help counteract cravings while treating an addiction. Researchers reported that during the six-month trial, 88 percent of participants had not been found using illicit opioids.
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“It’s the same idea of putting a disease in remission. We want people to have a good quality of life and that always takes a little bit of conscious thought and effort,” Dr. Michael Frost, an addiction medicine physician, told The Intelligencer. “Medication at the end of the day is just medication. And in the absence of developing skills and lifestyle modification, medication is not enough just on its own.”