Lowers tolerance, raises profits โ
DECEMBER 11, 2019 – โVivitrol is being promoted in a way that does not adequately present important risk information in a truthful and non-misleading manner,โ Thomas Abrams, director of the FDAโs Office of Prescription Drug Promotion, said in a statement. โThis is concerning from a public health perspective because of the potential for fatal opioid overdose in this vulnerable patient population.โ … Some marketing campaigns for Vivitrol, a monthly injection that works to prevent opioid cravings and block opioidsโ euphoric effects, have branded the drug as โnon-addictiveโ in an attempt to distinguish it from two other addiction treatment drugs, methadone and buprenorphine, which are opioids themselves. Alkermesโ claims prompted an outcry from treatment advocates who see methadone and buprenorphine as valuable, more accessible, and potentially more effective tools to prevent opioid overdose.
