“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Sublocade, the first once-monthly injectable buprenorphine product for the treatment of moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder (OUD) in adult patients who have initiated treatment with a transmucosal (absorbed through mucus membrane) buprenorphine-containing product. It is indicated for patients that have been on a stable dose of buprenorphine treatment for a minimum of seven days.
Buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD is currently approved to administer as a tablet or film that dissolves in the mouth, or as an implant. Sublocade provides a new treatment option for patients in recovery who may value the benefits of a once-monthly injection compared to other forms of buprenorphine, such as reducing the burden of taking medication daily as prescribed (medical adherence). An independent FDA advisory committee supported the approval of Sublocade at a meeting held last month.”
Read more at: https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm587312.htm
Source: FDA.gov – November 30, 2017
See related article: The FDA Just Approved A New Injection For Treating Opioid Addiction. Will Drug Courts Actually Let Defendants Take It? Available at: https://psmag.com/news/fda-approved-new-injection-for-treating-opioid-addiction