VIVITROL is indicated for:
  • The treatment of alcohol dependence in patients who are able to abstain from alcohol in an outpatient setting prior to initiation of treatment with VIVITROL. Patients should not be actively drinking at the time of initial VIVITROL administration.
  • The prevention of relapse to opioid dependence, following opioid detoxification.

VIVITROL should be part of a comprehensive management program that includes psychosocial support.


Once-monthly VIVITROL and counseling may help prevent relapse to opioid dependence in your appropriate patients who have completed opioid detoxification1,2

If your patients are struggling with opioid dependence, it may be time to consider medication-assisted treatment with VIVITROL and counseling.1

VIVITROL is the first and only medication indicated to prevent relapse to physical dependence following opioid detoxification.1,3-6


Introduction to VIVITROL

VIVITROL is a once-monthly, extended-release microsphere formulation of naltrexone designed to be administered by deep intramuscular gluteal injection1

  • VIVITROL is not habit-forming and is non-narcotic1
  • VIVITROL is not aversive therapy and does not cause an unpleasant disulfiram-like reaction as a result of either opioid use or ethanol ingestion1
  • VIVITROL has been prescribed for opioid dependence since 20101,7
  • Pretreatment with oral naltrexone is not required before using VIVITROL1

ONE DOSE
ONCE A MONTH WITH COUNSELING AS PART
OF YOUR PATIENT’S RECOVERY

WITH COUNSELING
AS PART OF
YOUR PATIENT’S
RECOVERY


How does VIVITROL work?

VIVITROL and counseling may help interrupt the patterns of opioid dependence1,2

  • Mechanism of action: Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist with highest affinity for the mu opioid receptor. Naltrexone has little or no opioid agonist activity1
  • Pharmacodynamics: Occupation of opioid receptors by naltrexone may block the effects of endogenous opioid peptides. It markedly attenuates or completely blocks, reversibly, the subjective effects of exogenous opioids. Naltrexone blocks the effects of opioids by competitive binding at opioid receptors. This makes the blockade produced potentially surmountable, but overcoming full naltrexone blockade by administration of opioids may result in non-opioid receptor-mediated symptoms such as histamine release1

VIVITROL
WITH
COUNSELING
MAY HELP
INTERRUPT
THE VICIOUS CYCLE
OF DEPENDENCY ON OPIOIDS

OF DEPENDENCY
ON OPIOIDS


Development of VIVITROL

The development of naltrexone from oral to extended-release injectable formulation7-9

Timeline showing the progression of naltrexone from its initial development in 1963 to the approval of VIVITROL in 2010.

return to top

References: 1. VIVITROL [Prescribing Information]. Alkermes, Inc. 2. Krupitsky E, Nunes EV, Ling W, Illeperuma A, Gastfriend DR, Silverman BL. Injectable extended-release naltrexone for opioid dependence: a double-blind, placebo controlled, multicentre randomised trial. Lancet. 2011;377(9776):1506-1513. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60358-9 3. Suboxone [Prescribing Information]. Warren, NJ: Indivior, Inc. 4. Suboxone [Prescribing Information]. North Chesterfield, MA: Indivior, Inc. 5. Methadose [Prescribing Information]. West Groves, MO: Mallinckrodt. 6. Dolophine [Prescribing Information]. Columbus, OH: Roxane Laboratories, Inc. 7. Data on file. Alkermes, Inc. Waltham, MA. 8. Srivastava AB, Gold MS. Naltrexone: a history and future directions. Cerebrum. 2018;2018:cer-13-18. 9. Gastfriend D. Intramuscular extended-release naltrexone: current evidence. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2011;1216:144-166. doi:10.1111/j.1749 6632.2010.05900.x

return to top

References: 1. VIVITROL [Prescribing Information]. Alkermes, Inc. 2. Krupitsky E, Nunes EV, Ling W, Illeperuma A, Gastfriend DR, Silverman BL. Injectable extended-release naltrexone for opioid dependence: a double-blind, placebo controlled, multicentre randomised trial. Lancet. 2011;377(9776):1506-1513. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60358-9 3. Suboxone [Prescribing Information]. Warren, NJ: Indivior, Inc. 4. Suboxone [Prescribing Information]. North Chesterfield, MA: Indivior, Inc. 5. Methadose [Prescribing Information]. West Groves, MO: Mallinckrodt. 6. Dolophine [Prescribing Information]. Columbus, OH: Roxane Laboratories, Inc. 7. Data on file. Alkermes, Inc. Waltham, MA. 8. Srivastava AB, Gold MS. Naltrexone: a history and future directions. Cerebrum. 2018;2018:cer-13-18. 9. Gastfriend D. Intramuscular extended-release naltrexone: current evidence. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2011;1216:144-166. doi:10.1111/j.1749 6632.2010.05900.x

return to top