Good news for those awaiting Vivitrol, the once monthly injectable naltrexone. According to reps at pharmaceutical company Cephalon, they’ve removed the primary roadblock in providing the medication to patients.

The impediment was apparently a program called VIP3 (Vivitrol Information for Patients, Physicians and Providers) which was originally established to support management and distribution of the meds. Unfortunately, the well intentioned program became a quagmire soon after its launch and left doctors, patients - and pharma reps - hugely frustrated with paperwork, delays, and confusion about getting their hands on the drug.

Cephalon says they’ve responded to feedback from their unhappy customers and will now streamline distribution. Vivitrol will be available from “local specialty pharmacies or from the five national specialty pharmacies that we currently have contracts with” according to an insider with whom I spoke.

Naltrexone is an “opioid antagonist”. It blocks the pleasurable effects of alcohol and helps reduce cravings. Results from clinical trials indicate it does a fine job of it, too. Patients who received the Vivitrol achieved a significantly greater reduction in heavy drinking days than those who got a placebo.

This development is great news for patients who need help and the physicians who treat them. Way to go, guys.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 14th, 2006 at 3:45 pm and is filed under Medications and research. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.