Dataset Information

Effectiveness of Injectable Extended-Release Naltrexone vs Daily Buprenorphine-Naloxone for Opioid Dependence: A Randomized Clinical Noninferiority Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

To date, extended-release naltrexone hydrochloride has not previously been compared directly with opioid medication treatment (OMT), currently the most commonly prescribed treatment for opioid dependence.

Objective

To determine whether treatment with extended-release naltrexone will be as effective as daily buprenorphine hydrochloride with naloxone hydrochloride in maintaining abstinence from heroin and other illicit substances in newly detoxified individuals.

Design, setting and participants

A 12-week, multicenter, outpatient, open-label randomized clinical trial was conducted at 5 urban addiction clinics in Norway between November 1, 2012, and December 23, 2015; the last follow-up was performed on October 23, 2015. A total of 232 adult opioid-dependent (per DSM-IV criteria) individuals were recruited from outpatient addiction clinics and detoxification units and assessed for eligibility. Intention-to-treat analyses of efficacy end points were performed with all randomized participants.

Interventions

Randomization to either daily oral flexible dose buprenorphine-naloxone, 4 to 24 mg/d, or extended-release naltrexone hydrochloride, 380 mg, administered intramuscularly every fourth week for 12 weeks.

Main outcomes and measures

Primary end points (protocol) were the randomized clinical trial completion rate, the proportion of opioid-negative urine drug tests, and number of days of use of heroin and other illicit opioids. Secondary end points included number of days of use of other illicit substances. Safety was assessed by adverse event reporting.

Results

Of 159 participants, mean (SD) age was 36 (8.6) years and 44 (27.7%) were women. Eighty individuals were randomized to extended-release naltrexone and 79 to buprenorphine-naloxone; 105 (66.0%) completed the trial. Retention in the extended-release naltrexone group was noninferior to the buprenorphine-naloxone group (difference, -0.1; with 95% CI, -0.2 to 0.1; P = .04), with mean (SD) time of 69.3 (25.9) and 63.7 (29.9) days, correspondingly (P = .33, log-rank test). Treatment with extended-release naltrexone showed noninferiority to buprenorphine-naloxone on group proportion of total number of opioid-negative urine drug tests (mean [SD], 0.9 [0.3] and 0.8 [0.4], respectively, difference, 0.1 with 95% CI, -0.04 to 0.2; P < .001) and use of heroin (mean difference, -3.2 with 95% CI, -4.9 to -1.5; P < .001) and other illicit opioids (mean difference, -2.7 with 95% CI, -4.6 to -0.9; P < .001). Superiority analysis showed significantly lower use of heroin and other illicit opioids in the extended-release naltrexone group. No significant differences were found between the treatment groups regarding most other illicit substance use.

Conclusions and relevance

Extended-release naltrexone was as effective as buprenorphine-naloxone in maintaining short-term abstinence from heroin and other illicit substances and should be considered as a treatment option for opioid-dependent individuals.

Trial registration

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01717963.

SUBMITTER: Tanum L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6583381 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundCurrent guidelines for opioid dependence recommend daily maintenance of physical dependence with methadone or buprenorphine, and discourage abstinence due to the high risk of relapse and overdose. Extended-release formulations of the opioid antagonist naltrexone (XR-NTX) block heroin and other opioid agonists competitively for around 4 weeks per administration. XR-NTX thus enables opioid users to experience abstinence from opioid agonists with greatly reduced risk of overdose compared to medication-free abstinence. While XR-NTX has shown promise compared to placebo and daily naltrexone tablets, there is limited information on long-term safety and its performance compared to daily maintenance treatment.Methods/designIn this five-hospital RCT with long-term follow-up, we aim to recruit n = 180 patients in treatment for opioid dependence and allocate them in an open, randomized manner (1:1) to receive either 4-week XR-NTX or daily buprenorphine-naloxone (BP-NLX) for the duration of 12 weeks. Allocation is open-label due to the risk of overdose during attempts to self-unmask allocation using heroin. Urine drug tests are scheduled every week with follow-up visits & assessment every 4 weeks. Primary outcomes are abstinence from illicit opioids in urine drug tests and self-report, as well as retention in treatment. Secondary outcomes include other substance use, injecting behavior, drug craving, mental health, quality of life, treatment satisfaction, abstinence motivation, opioid agonist effect rating, insomnia, and pain. Observation is continued for another 36 weeks in order to assess longer-term safety, adherence and effectiveness. The study is an investigator-initiated trial, funded by public grants and approved by an Independent Ethical Committee (the Regional Ethical Committee for Research South-East B # 2011/1320) and the Norwegian Medicines Agency.DiscussionDespite minor implementation problems, the protocol appears sufficiently robust to generate results of high interest to patients, clinicians and policy makers.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov # NCT01717963 , first registered: Oct 28, 2012. Protocol version # 3C, June 12th 2012.

Project description:Importance:Extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) is a promising alternative treatment of opioid addiction but has never been compared with opioid agonist treatment for effects on symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Objective:To investigate whether XR-NTX unmasks or reinforces current comorbid symptoms of anxiety, depression, or insomnia compared with opioid agonist treatment. Design, Setting, and Participants:In this prospective randomized clinical trial, 159 men and women aged 18 to 60 years with opioid dependence were randomized to 12 weeks of treatment with either XR-NTX or combined buprenorphine-naloxone (BP-NLX) followed by a 9-month, open-label treatment study with participant choice of 1 of these 2 drugs. The study was conducted at outpatient addiction clinics in 5 urban hospitals in Norway, with the clinical trial performed from November 1, 2012, to October 23, 2015, and the follow-up study completed on July 23, 2016. All analyses were conducted using an intention-to-treat sample. Interventions:Extended-release naltrexone hydrochloride, 380 mg, administered as an injection every 4 weeks or flexible doses (4-24 mg; target dosage 16 mg/d) of daily oral combined BP-NLX. Main Outcomes and Measures:Every 4 weeks, symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed using the 25-item Hopkins Symptom Checklist, and symptoms of insomnia were assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index. Results:In total, 159 participants were randomized to treatment with either XR-NTX (n = 80) or BP-NLX (n = 79), and 105 participants (66.0%) completed the trial. The treatment groups showed similar distributions of age (mean [SD], 36.4 [8.8] vs 35.7 [8.5] years), sex (61 [76.3%] women and 54 [68.4%] men), and duration of heroin use (mean [SD], 6.9 [5.8] vs 6.7 [5.2] years). For the clinical trial period, no overall differences were detected between treatment groups for anxiety (effect size [95% CI], -0.14 [-0.47 to 0.19]) or depression (effect size [95% CI], -0.12 [-0.45 to 0.21]) scores, but the insomnia score was significantly lower in the XR-NTX group (effect size [95% CI], -0.32 [-0.61 to -0.02]; P = .008). In the follow-up period, no overall differences could be detected in the effect size [95% CI] of scores for anxiety (0.04 [-0.34 to 0.42]), depression (-0.04 [-0.42 to 0.33]), or insomnia (0.04 [-0.33 to 0.42]) between participants continuing with and participants switching to XR-NTX. No significant sex differences between the 2 treatment groups were detected. Conclusions and Relevance:Comorbid symptoms of anxiety, depression, or insomnia in abstinence-motivated persons with opioid dependence should not prevent switching from treatment with an opioid agonist to treatment with XR-NTX. Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01717963.

Project description:ImportanceExtended-release buprenorphine (XRB), a monthly injectable long-acting opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, has not been studied for use in corrections facilities.ObjectiveTo compare treatment retention following release from jail among adults receiving daily sublingual buprenorphine-naloxone (SLB) vs those receiving XRB.Design, setting, and participantsThis open-label, randomized comparative effectiveness study included 52 incarcerated adults in New York City observed for 8 weeks postrelease between June 2019 and May 2020. Participants were soon-to-be-released volunteers from 1 men's and 1 women's jail facility who had OUDs already treated with SLB. Follow-up treatment was received at a primary care clinic in Manhattan. Data were analyzed between June 2020 and December 2020.InterventionsXRB treatment was offered prior to release and continued monthly through 8 weeks after release. SLB participants continued to receive daily directly observed in-jail SLB administration, were provided a 7-day SLB supply at jail release, and followed up at a designated clinic (or other preferred clinics).Main outcomes and measuresBuprenorphine treatment retention at 8 weeks postrelease.ResultsA total of 52 participants were randomized 1:1 to XRB (26 participants) and SLB (26 participants). Participants had a mean (SD) age of 42.6 (10.0) years; 45 participants (87%) were men; and 40 (77%) primarily used heroin prior to incarceration. Most participants (30 [58%]) reported prior buprenorphine use; 18 (35%) reported active community buprenorphine treatment prior to jail admission. Twenty-one of 26 assigned to XRB received 1 or more XRB injection prior to release; 3 initiated XRB postrelease; and 2 did not receive XRB. Patients in the XRB arm had fewer jail medical visits compared with daily SLB medication administration (mean [SD] visits per day: XRB, 0.11 [0.03] vs SLB, 1.06 [0.08]). Community buprenorphine treatment retention at week 8 postrelease was 18 participants in the XRB group (69.2%) vs 9 in the SLB group (34.6%), and rates of opioid-negative urine tests were 72 of 130 tests in the XRB group (55.3%) and 50 of 130 tests in the SLB group (38.4%). There were no differences in rates of serious adverse events, no overdoses, and no deaths.Conclusions and relevanceXRB was acceptable among patients currently receiving SLB, and patients had fewer in-jail clinic visits and increased community buprenorphine treatment retention when compared with standard daily SLB treatment. These results support wider use and further study of XRB as correctional and reentry OUD treatment.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03604159.

Project description:ContextThe usual treatment for opioid-addicted youth is detoxification and counseling. Extended medication-assisted therapy may be more helpful.ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of continuing buprenorphine-naloxone for 12 weeks vs detoxification for opioid-addicted youth.Design, setting, and patientsClinical trial at 6 community programs from July 2003 to December 2006 including 152 patients aged 15 to 21 years who were randomized to 12 weeks of buprenorphine-naloxone or a 14-day taper (detox).InterventionsPatients in the 12-week buprenorphine-naloxone group were prescribed up to 24 mg per day for 9 weeks and then tapered to week 12; patients in the detox group were prescribed up to 14 mg per day and then tapered to day 14. All were offered weekly individual and group counseling.Main outcome measureOpioid-positive urine test result at weeks 4, 8, and 12.ResultsThe number of patients younger than 18 years was too small to analyze separately, but overall, patients in the detox group had higher proportions of opioid-positive urine test results at weeks 4 and 8 but not at week 12 (chi(2)(2) = 4.93, P = .09). At week 4, 59 detox patients had positive results (61%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 47%-75%) vs 58 12-week buprenorphine-naloxone patients (26%; 95% CI = 14%-38%). At week 8, 53 detox patients had positive results (54%; 95% CI = 38%-70%) vs 52 12-week buprenorphine-naloxone patients (23%; 95% CI = 11%-35%). At week 12, 53 detox patients had positive results (51%; 95% CI = 35%-67%) vs 49 12-week buprenorphine-naloxone patients (43%; 95% CI = 29%-57%). By week 12, 16 of 78 detox patients (20.5%) remained in treatment vs 52 of 74 12-week buprenorphine-naloxone patients (70%; chi(2)(1) = 32.90, P < .001). During weeks 1 through 12, patients in the 12-week buprenorphine-naloxone group reported less opioid use (chi(2)(1) = 18.45, P < .001), less injecting (chi(2)(1) = 6.00, P = .01), and less nonstudy addiction treatment (chi(2)(1) = 25.82, P < .001). High levels of opioid use occurred in both groups at follow-up. Four of 83 patients who tested negative for hepatitis C at baseline were positive for hepatitis C at week 12.ConclusionsContinuing treatment with buprenorphine-naloxone improved outcome compared with short-term detoxification. Further research is necessary to assess the efficacy and safety of longer-term treatment with buprenorphine for young individuals with opioid dependence.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00078130.

Project description:AimsTo examine the safety and effectiveness of buprenorphine + naloxone sublingual tablets (BUP, as Suboxone(®) ) provided after administration of extended-release injectable naltrexone (XR-NTX, as Vivitrol(®) ) to reduce cocaine use in participants who met DSM-IV criteria for cocaine dependence and past or current opioid dependence or abuse.MethodsThis multi-centered, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, conducted under the auspices of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network, randomly assigned 302 participants at sites in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, New York and Washington DC, USA to one of three conditions provided with XR-NTX: 4 mg/day BUP (BUP4, n = 100), 16 mg/day BUP (BUP16, n = 100, or no buprenorphine (placebo; PLB, n = 102). Participants received pharmacotherapy for 8 weeks, with three clinic visits per week. Cognitive behavioral therapy was provided weekly. Follow-up assessments occurred at 1 and 3 months post-intervention. The planned primary outcome was urine drug screen (UDS)-corrected, self-reported cocaine use during the last 4 weeks of treatment. Planned secondary analyses assessed cocaine use by UDS, medication adherence, retention and adverse events.ResultsNo group differences were found between groups for the primary outcome (BUP4 versus PLB, P = 0.262; BUP16 versus PLB, P = 0.185). Longitudinal analysis of UDS data during the evaluation period using generalized linear mixed equations found a statistically significant difference between BUP16 and PLB [P = 0.022, odds ratio (OR) = 1.71] but not for BUP4 (P = 0.105, OR = 1.05). No secondary outcome differences across groups were found for adherence, retention or adverse events.ConclusionsBuprenorphine + naloxone, used in combination with naltrexone, may be associated with reductions in cocaine use among people who meet DSM-IV criteria for cocaine dependence and past or current opioid dependence or abuse.