8th Apr 2019 08:28
LONDON (Alliance News) - Indivior PLC on Monday said analysis of its Sublocade slow-release injectable found the drug could be more effective as an addition treatment at a higher dose.
In a post-hoc analysis of the phase three Sublocade study, and subsequent open-label study, injecting opioid users who were treated with the 300 milligram Sublocade maintenance dose were found to have spent longer in treatment and were more likely to complete the study than those taking 100 mg.
Moreover, 58% of patients taking the higher dose abstained from opioid use compared to 43% at the lower dose.
The difference was only seen in those who had previously injected opioids. In patients who had not injected previously, continuous opioid abstinence was 28% at both a higher and lower dose.
Indivior is planning further studies of patients who may require a higher dose of Sublocade.
In addition, a study of buprenorphine - the active component of Sublocade - found that buprenorphine reduced the extent of respiratory depression from Fentanyl in a study of eight opioid-tolerant patients.
Fentanyl is often added to or sold as heroin and causes respiratory depression - when breathing becomes slow and shallow and a person cannot get rid of carbon dioxide - as well as overdose deaths because drug users don't know they are taking Fentanyl.
At concentration of 2 nanograms per millilitre of blood, buprenorphine reduced the extent of this respiratory depression.
Indivior Inc Chief Scientific Officer Christian Heidbreder said: "Based on this study, the potential protective effect of 2 [nanograms per millilitre] and higher buprenorphine plasma concentrations against fentanyl-induced respiratory depression warrants additional investigation."
Shares in Indivior were up 0.2% at 99.40 pence on Monday morning.
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