Rapid induction with SUBLOCADE® showed higher treatment retention rates compared to standard induction, particularly among fentanyl-positive participants
RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Indivior PLC (NASDAQ:INDV) this week published compelling results from a multicenter, open-label clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open. Two approaches were evaluated for initiating treatment with SUBLOCADE®, extended-release buprenorphine, in individuals who met criteria for moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder (OUD) and who engage in high-risk opioid use—including injection use, high-dose consumption, or fentanyl use.
The study found that rapid induction—administration of a single dose of 4-mg oral buprenorphine followed by a same-day SUBLOCADE injection—was well tolerated and led to higher retention at the second injection compared to standard induction, which is at least seven days of oral buprenorphine dose adjustments prior to the first injection of SUBLOCADE. These benefits were observed across the full study population and were especially pronounced among fentanyl-positive participants, addressing the clinically relevant outcome that patients remain engaged with treatment after induction.
The trial also demonstrated that administering the second SUBLOCADE injection just one week after the first was well tolerated in both treatment arms as the safety profile up to injection two was comparable, reinforcing the potential for an agile and patient-centered treatment model with rapid induction. A similar proportion of participants in adverse events up to injection two.