Indivior Study: SUBLOCADE Adherence Cuts Costs 42%, Reduces Acute Care Visits
Indivior’s real-world study found that 12-month adherence to its SUBLOCADE monthly injectable buprenorphine cut annual non-MOUD medical costs by 42%, equal to $15,017 less per patient compared with other MOUD treatments ($35,761 vs. $50,778). SUBLOCADE-adherent patients also recorded the lowest inpatient admissions, emergency department visits and detoxification utilization.
1. Study Design and Patient Cohorts
The retrospective observational study analyzed commercially insured patients with opioid use disorder over a 12-month follow-up, categorizing them into three cohorts: those adherent to SUBLOCADE monthly injectable buprenorphine, those adherent to other MOUD therapies but not SUBLOCADE, and those nonadherent to any MOUD.
2. Cost and Utilization Findings
SUBLOCADE-adherent patients experienced a 42% reduction in annual non-MOUD medical costs, equating to $15,017 less per patient ($35,761 vs. $50,778), and recorded the lowest inpatient admissions, emergency department visits and detoxification utilization across all cohorts.
3. Commercial and Clinical Implications
These cost and utilization advantages enhance SUBLOCADE’s value proposition for payers and providers, potentially driving broader adoption, improved market positioning and increased revenue opportunities for Indivior’s long-acting buprenorphine franchise.
4. Study Limitations
Limitations include the study’s retrospective design and reliance on administrative claims data, potential coding inaccuracies, unmeasured confounding factors and possible effects from COVID-19 care disruptions during the study period.