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A pilot trial of injectable, extended‐release naltrexone for the treatment of co‐occurring cocaine and alcohol dependence
Author(s) -
Pettinati Helen M.,
Kampman Kyle M.,
Lynch Kevin G.,
Dundon William D.,
Mahoney Elizabeth M.,
Wierzbicki Michael R.,
O'Brien Charles P.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the american journal on addictions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.997
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-0391
pISSN - 1055-0496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2014.12146.x
Subject(s) - naltrexone , placebo , alcohol dependence , medicine , addiction , alcohol , cocaine dependence , clinical trial , narcotic antagonist , randomized controlled trial , alcohol use disorder , psychiatry , anesthesia , pharmacology , opioid , alternative medicine , biochemistry , chemistry , receptor , pathology
Background There is a high co‐occurrence of cocaine and alcohol use disorders, and patients with both of these problems are difficult to treat. There is a reasonable rationale and some empirical data to justify a pilot trial of an injectable, extended‐release formulation of naltrexone for treating co‐occurring cocaine and alcohol addiction. Methods Eighty cocaine (n = 80) and alcohol dependent, treatment‐seeking subjects were randomly assigned to receive either two monthly extended‐release injections of naltrexone or two matching placebo injections in an 8‐week clinical trial, with weekly medical management plus cognitive behavioral therapy visits. Results No differences in reduction in cocaine or alcohol use were observed between the injectable naltrexone and placebo groups during the 8‐week trial. Conclusions Injectable extended‐release naltrexone, while an ideal method for ensuring medication adherence in these traditionally hard‐to‐treat patients, did not result in any measurable reduction in cocaine or alcohol use over the course of 8 weeks of treatment. (Am J Addict 2014;23:591–597)