RICHMOND, Va., April 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Indivior PLC (LON:
INDV) today announced findings from a qualitative study examining
the impact of COVID-19 on opioid use disorder (OUD) management and
medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) access in the U.S. which
found that 85% of participants agreed that patients with OUD
experienced more barriers to care during the COVID-19
pandemic.1 Results from the study, entitled "Impact
of COVID-19 on OUD Management and MOUD Access in the US," were
presented at the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) 2021
virtual meeting. The study was conducted to understand the impact
of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management of OUD in the US from
both provider and payer perspectives, as well as to gain insight
into strategies adopted by healthcare organizations to overcome
access barriers to OUD care and MOUD.1
The study found that OUD patients faced even greater barriers to
care during the COVID-19 pandemic than usual. Providers and payers
acknowledged that patients had limited access to clinics and
healthcare personnel as treatment facilities cancelled appointments
and reduced hours of operation.1 Twenty percent of
respondents reported increased relapse rates, 45% reported increase
in overdose rates, and 45% reported increased emergency department
visits.1 A decline in medication adherence was reported
by 25% of respondents.1 One fourth of respondents
reported a switch to extended-release formulations of MOUD and
another 25% reported an increase in MOUD dose.1 There
also was a higher demand for psychosocial support during the
pandemic.1
"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people struggling with opioid use
disorder have experienced a decline in treatment, management, and
health outcomes.1 This study revealed that while
telemedicine and other solutions have emerged, OUD patients are
still suffering and need additional support to help them with their
recovery," said Murali Gopal M.D., Chief Medical Officer,
Indivior.
In addition to impacting patient care, the COVID-19 pandemic
also impacted healthcare organizations overall. Twenty percent of
respondents reported a decrease in the number of patients with OUD
being seen due to limited face-to-face contact and reduced clinic
hours.1 These resulted from the shift in medical
resources to the treatment of patients diagnosed with COVID-19
including bed space, funding, and reassignment of medical
personnel.1 Barriers to monitoring OUD patients,
including patient transportation, income, and less access to
counseling, were also reported.1
The study also showed that many healthcare organizations
implemented solutions designed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19
on patients and organizations. Telemedicine was the most common
solution adopted by healthcare organizations.1
Seventy-five percent of respondents stated that patients with OUD
had a positive response to telemedicine.1 However,
telemedicine was not as effective for certain patient
subpopulations, including elderly patients and those with
socioeconomic vulnerabilities due to a lack of reliable access to
the internet and/or technology.1 Additional solutions
included renewing medications without face-to-face visits or
extending the duration of refills.1 Frequent remote
outreach was also helpful, as was curbside urine drug
testing.1 Support provided by pharmaceutical
manufacturers for patient education, emotional support hotlines,
and patient assistance programs were recommended by
respondents.1
"The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact on the
opioid crisis in the U.S. More than 87,000 people died from drug
overdose in the 12-month period ending in September 2020, a 29 percent increase over the
previous year,2" said Mark
Crossley, Chief Executive Officer, Indivior. "This study
provided new insights into the evolution of OUD treatment during
the pandemic, and it is our hope that research such as this may
help clinicians determine how best they can help patients access
evidence-based treatment and the supports they need to move onto a
path to recovery."
About the Study1
This qualitative study was
conducted via double-blinded, 30-minute telephone interviews
between November 12 and December 7,
2020. A total of 20 participants were interviewed, 17
healthcare providers, including physicians, nurse practitioners,
physician assistants, clinical pharmacists, and 3 payers.
Participants represented various practice settings including
large/small hospitals and health systems, criminal justice,
rural/non-rural private practice, and opioid treatment centers.
About Indivior
Indivior is a global pharmaceutical
company working to help change patients' lives by developing
medicines to treat addiction and serious mental illnesses. Our
vision is that all patients around the world will have access to
evidence-based treatment for the chronic conditions and
co-occurring disorders of addiction. Indivior is dedicated to
transforming addiction from a global human crisis to a recognized
and treated chronic disease. Building on its global portfolio of
opioid dependence treatments, Indivior has a pipeline of product
candidates designed to both expand on its heritage in this category
and potentially address other chronic conditions and cooccurring
disorders of addiction, including alcohol use disorder.
Headquartered in the United States
in Richmond, VA, Indivior employs
more than 700 individuals globally and its portfolio of products is
available in over 40 countries worldwide. Visit www.indivior.com to
learn more. Connect with Indivior on LinkedIn by visiting
www.linkedin.com/company/indivior.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains
certain statements that are forward-looking. By their nature,
forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties as they
relate to events or circumstances that may or may not occur in the
future. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed
or implied in such statements because they relate to future events.
Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements
regarding the Indivior Group's financial guidance for 2020, if any,
and its medium- and long-term growth outlook, its operational
goals, its product development pipeline and statements regarding
ongoing litigation and other statements containing the words
"subject to", "believe", "anticipate", "plan", "expect", "intend",
"estimate", "project", "may", "will", "should", "would", "could",
"can", the negatives thereof, variations thereon and similar
expressions.
Various factors may cause differences between Indivior's
expectations and actual results, including, among others (including
those described in the risk factors described in the most recent
Indivior PLC Annual Report and in subsequent releases): factors
affecting sales of Indivior Group's products and financial
position; the outcome of research and development activities;
decisions by regulatory authorities regarding the Indivior Group's
drug applications or authorizations; the speed with which
regulatory authorizations, pricing approvals and product launches
may be achieved, if at all; the outcome of post-approval clinical
trials; competitive developments; difficulties or delays in
manufacturing and in the supply chain; disruptions in or failure of
information technology systems; the impact of existing and future
legislation and regulatory provisions on product exclusivity;
trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment;
legislation or regulatory action affecting pharmaceutical product
pricing, reimbursement or access; challenges in the commercial
execution; claims and concerns that may arise regarding the safety
or efficacy of the Indivior Group's products and product
candidates; risks related to legal proceedings, including
compliance with the U.S. Department of Justice Resolution and
Settlement Agreements, noncompliance with which could result in
potential exclusion from participating in U.S. Federal health care
programs; the ongoing investigative and antitrust litigation
matters; the opioid national multi-district litigation and
securities class action litigation; the Indivior Group's ability to
protect its patents and other intellectual property; the outcome of
patent infringement litigation relating to Indivior Group's
products, including the ongoing ANDA lawsuits; changes in
governmental laws and regulations; issues related to the
outsourcing of certain operational and staff functions to third
parties; risks related to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the
potential impact of COVID-19 on the Indivior Group's operations and
financial condition, which cannot be predicted with confidence;
uncertainties related to general economic, political, business,
industry, regulatory and market conditions; and the impact of
acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, internal
reorganizations, product recalls and withdrawals and other unusual
items.
Consequently, forward-looking statements speak only as of the
date that they are made and should be regarded solely as our
current plans, estimates and beliefs. You should not place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements. We cannot guarantee future
results, events, levels of activity, performance or achievements.
Except as required by law, we do not undertake and specifically
decline any obligation to update, republish or revise
forward-looking statements to reflect future events or
circumstances or to reflect the occurrences of unanticipated
events.
References:
- Abdel-Sattar, M, Cook, S, Wheeler, A, et al. Impact of COVID-19
on OUD Management and MOUD Access in the US. Presented at ASAM
Virtual 2021, April 2021.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 12
Month-ending Provisional Number of Drug Overdose Deaths.
April 4, 2021.
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SOURCE Indivior PLC