Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 27, 2026

A Method for Evaluating the Reinforcing Properties of Ethanol in Rats without Water Deprivation, Saccharin Fading or Extended Access Training
Published on: January 29, 2017
[Injectable extended-release naltrexone for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence following opioid
1Sankt-Peterburgskiĭ nauchno-issledovatel'skiĭ psikhonevrologicheskiĭ institut im. V.M. Bekhtereva; Sankt-Peterburgskiĭ gosudarstvennyĭ meditsinskiĭ universitet im. akademika I.P. Pavlova, Sankt-Peterburg.
Abstract:
Opioid dependence is a growing, worldwide public health concern. In contrast to opioid ?-agonist (or 'substitution') maintenance treatments, injectable extendedrelease naltrexone (XR-NTX), approved in the USA and Russia, is an opioid antagonist, formulated to address nonadherence, which limits the utility of oral naltrexone for opioid dependence. This article reviews the clinical trial data underlying the approval of XR-NTX for opioid dependence and the agent's clinical use. XR-NTX met all primary and secondary end points in a multicenter, placebo-controlled trial (n=250) conducted in Russia, with two discontinuations in each group because of adverse events. Cost-effectiveness analysis of claims data found that 6-month total healthcare costs following XR-NTX (US$8582 per patient) were not significantly different from oral naltrexone (US$8903; p=0.867) or buprenorphine (US$10,049; p=0.414), and were 49% lower than with methadone (US$16,752; p<0.0001). Future research should address induction and duration of treatment with XR-NTX.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Oral Drug Delivery Systems: Continuous-Release Systems
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Extracorporeal Removal of Drugs: Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Drug Release Characteristics
Drugs for Treatment of Diarrhea-Predominant IBS
Two specific drugs used in the treatment are alosetron (Lotronex) and eluxadoline (Viberzi). Alosetron, a 5-HT3 antagonist, works by slowing the movement of stools in the gut, reducing bowel...

