FDA approves first implantable drug to treat opioid addiction

The Washington Post (5/26, McGinley) reports in “To Your Health” that the Food and Drug Administration “on Thursday approved the first implantable drug to deliver long-lasting medication to people addicted to opioids.” The implant, known as Probuphine, “administers the anti-addiction drug buprenorphine in a continuous dose for six months.” It is “intended for people who are already stable on low doses of the drug.”

The AP (5/26, Perrone) reports that the “first-of-a-kind device” could “help patients avoid relapses that can occur if they miss a medication dose.” Physicians “who implant the device must also receive special training to safely insert and remove the device.”

STAT (5/26, Robbins) reports that physicians “caution that the implant…is no silver bullet for an opioid crisis that’s devastating communities across the country.”

For more information about preventing opioid abuse, visit this AMA resource guide.

Article from the AMA Morning Rounds, May 27 2016