CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 2 (UPI) -- Alkermes and Cephalon said Tuesday they will make the drug Vivitrol -- a treatment for alcohol dependence -- available in the United States by the end of June.
The companies said that the results of a new study -- the COMBINE study, published in the May 3 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association -- "further supports the use of medication, medical management and psychosocial support to treat alcohol dependence."
The drug makers noted that about 50 percent of patients treated for alcohol dependence relapse back to drinking within the first few months of treatment, while 75 percent go back to their alcohol habit within the first year.
Vivitrol (naltrexone) -- cleared for the U.S. market last month -- is an extended-release injectable suspension for monthly use and is indicated for patients who are able to abstain from drinking in an outpatient setting and are not actively drinking when initiating treatment. The drug should be used in conjunction with "psychosocial support," such as counseling or group therapy, the companies said.
