As the medical community and federal government face down the worst drug overdose epidemic in the country's history, new solutions to combat opioid addiction are surfacing. One such solution currently pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration is a subdermal implant designed to curb opioid cravings, according to NPR.
The implant consists of a series of rods about the size of matchsticks that administer a controlled release of buprenorphine — a drug used in other forms to treat opioid addiction. The device, called Probuphine, lasts six months and is implanted beneath the skin by a physician.
The product does exhibit potential benefits. In clinical trials, only 12 percent of participants using the implant relapsed. That rate jumped to 28 percent when buprenorphine was administered in pill form, according to NPR.
Perhaps the most enticing potential benefits of the new product are linked to its discreet delivery system.
Dave, a study participant, opioid addict and a paramedic in a small town outside of Boston who remained anonymous during his interview with NPR for fear of reprisal, described the treatment as safe and convenient. When he used daily pills, he said he had to be careful to keep them out of reach from his two-year-old granddaughter. Sometimes he would also forget to take the pill.
"With the implant, you didn't have to worry about that," Dave told NPR. "It was just there, and you felt good all the time."
Though the drug produces a less intense high than most opioids, it is abused and distributed illegally.
Behshad Sheldon, the CEO of Braeburn Pharmaceuticals — which partnered with Titan Pharmaceuticals on Probuphine — told NPR, "Buprenorphine is the third most confiscated opioid by the DEA, so there's certainly diversion going on."
The price tag for this potential new treatment will reportedly be comparable to that of some injectable products designed to treat opioid addiction that cost approximately $1,000 a month. Ms. Sheldon told NPR her company would offer rebates to make sure appropriate patients have access to the implant.
Barbara Herbert, MD, president of the Massachusetts Society of Addiction Medicine, told NPR, "Anything that might help people beat their opioid addiction is a good idea...[but] high profits in the middle of this epidemic are really unconscionable."
The FDA is expected to make a decision on the new product by May 27. An advisory board for the agency recommended approval for Probuphine in January, according to NPR.
More articles on opioids:
Harvard med students teach themselves how to treat opioid addiction
Surgeon General calls for more robust physician training for opioid prescribing
Mass General: Addicts take opioids on hospital campus for quick intervention in case of OD