FRIDAY, April 14, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- Once-a-month injections of the drug Vivitrol (naltrexone) to treat alcoholism received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval Thursday. The drug was previously only sold in daily pill form.
The injectable form of the drug will be made by Alkermes Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., and will be marketed and sold by Cephalon Inc. of Frazer, Pa., the Associated Press reported.
Vivitrol blocks neurotransmitters in the brain believed to be associated with alcohol dependence.
The companies hope the once-monthly injections, done at a doctor's office, will make it easier than the daily pill for alcoholics to stick with their treatment program, which also includes counseling or group therapy.
"Daily adherence to medication is challenging for most people, and even more challenging for people with alcoholism," said Richard Pops, Alkermes' chief executive officer.
The price of the injectable drug won't be decided until it's launched in the United States in late June, the AP reported. The drug will carry a black-box warning cautioning patients that it can cause liver damage. The pill form carries a similar warning.
More information
To learn more, visit the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
