Indivior shares rise on publication of RECOVER study design

The FTSE 250 company said the multisite, longitudinal observational study measured life changes, such as quality of life and employment, in people with moderate to severe opioid use disorder (OUD) for up to 24 months, following participation in a Phase 3 trial evaluating treatment with once-monthly ‘SUBLOCADE’ (buprenorphine extended-release) injection for subcutaneous use, in combination with counseling.

“Real-world studies like RECOVER present an important opportunity to better understand recovery in opioid use disorder, how it evolves and the role of medications such as SUBLOCADE,” said Walter Ling, professor emeritus of psychiatry and founding director of the Integrated Substance Abuse Programs at the University of California, Los Angeles, and lead study author.

“In treating moderate to severe opioid use disorder, we believe there is an opportunity to drive change in not only traditional outcomes, such as treatment retention and abstinence from opioids, but also important patient-centered outcomes, such as family relationships, integration to the community, healthcare costs, crime and employment.

“This study is designed to help us assess these life changes outside of the clinic.”

Indivior said the opioid epidemic in the United States was a “public health crisis” that had grown.

In 2016, an average of 115 people died of opioid overdose each day, which the company said was a number that was five times higher than it was in 1999.

It explained that addiction could have a “devastating personal and societal impact” for the affected individuals, families and communities.

Beyond medical treatment, patients in treatment and their families required support from community services and employers to promote a healthy environment for recovery, the board added.

“Quality care of patients suffering from opioid use disorder requires the generation of data that not only address the clinical efficacy and safety of a treatment, but also helps increase the understanding of how patients are pursuing the life changes they aspire to achieve, which is what true recovery is all about,” said Indivior’s chief scientific officer Dr Christian Heidbreder.

“We believe that the RECOVER study, which actively engages patients in their real-world environment, will contribute to a better understanding of how patients are navigating through their pathway towards recovery, ultimately providing a more comprehensive approach to the treatment of opioid use disorder and breaking down barriers and misconceptions about this disease.”