Injectable extended-release naltrexone for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence following opioid detoxification

摘要

Opioid dependence is a growing, worldwide public health concern. In contrast to opioid u-agonist (or'substitution') maintenance treatments, injectable extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX), approved in the USA and Russia, is an opioid antagonist, formulated to address nonadherence, which limits the utility of oral naltrexone for opioid dependence. This article reviews the clinical trial data underlying the approval of XR-NTX for opioid dependence and the agent's clinical use. XR-NTX met all primary and secondary end points in a multicenter, placebo-controlled trial (n = 250) conducted in Russia, with two discontinuations in each group because of adverse events.