Long-acting treatment for opioid addiction reduced risk of relapse

(Columbia University Medical Center) In a multicenter, randomized clinical trial, ex-prisoners who received six monthly injections of naltrexone -- a long-acting medication that blocks opioid receptors in the brain -- were significantly less likely to resume opioid use than those who received counseling and referrals to community treatment centers without naltrexone. Naltrexone injections offer another effective therapeutic option to people with opioid dependence to prevent relapse and reduce th...