Indivior Underscores Commitment to Putting Patients First during this Recovery Month

SLOUGH, England and RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- September is Recovery Month, a time to celebrate people in recovery and advocate for those who remain under-diagnosed, under-treated and under-supported as they struggle with opioid use disorder (OUD). In our continued efforts to deepen our commitment to patients with OUD, Indivior has launched a new informational website, RethinkOpioidAddiction.com. Presenting scientific evidence, easy-to-understand explanations and links to public health resources, the website encourages people to "rethink" their perceptions of addiction, recovery and treatment.

"Consistent with our commitment to advancing the public's understanding of opioid use disorder, RethinkOpioidAddiction.com was developed to focus on the science to help inform and raise awareness of the patient journey," said Mark Crossley, Chief Executive Officer of Indivior. "By helping to educate on how opioid addiction rewires the brain, Indivior aims to tackle the stigma and raise awareness of opioid use disorder as a treatable disease and not a moral failing. We know too much about this chronic disease for so many people to continue to struggle."

Now more than ever, people need accurate, scientific information and access to evidence-based treatment and counseling. The social isolation and economic dislocation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic is preventing people from accessing mental and emotional support groups, which are critical for those managing their recovery.¹

While a recent survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows promising trends in the state of the opioid epidemic in the U.S., it also notes that substance misuse and mental illness continue to be major problems for Americans.² According to new data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NDUH), OUD has decreased from 2.1 million in 2018 to 1.6 million in 2019.²  The report also states that "efforts to increase access to Medication-Assisted Treatment and psychosocial/community recovery supports have had a positive effect."³ However, among those people who do receive treatment for OUD, the most common treatment is still outpatient counseling (approximately 60% of patients), with only 12.5% of patients receiving medications for OUD.⁴ Furthermore, although the number of people with OUD has decreased², data released by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) show that drug overdose deaths reached a record high in 2019, reversing the 2018 decline.⁵ According to the CDC, the reported 12-month-ending provisional counts of drug overdose deaths in February 2020 was 72,780, a 7.6 percent increase over the 67,632 counts taken in February 2019.⁵

The impact of the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and the OUD epidemic in 2020 has yet to be fully understood.⁶ A September 2020 brief issued by the American Medical Association showed that more than 40 states have reported increases in opioid-related mortality.⁷

"Stakeholder collaboration, comprehensive planning and funding will be critical in the long-term to prevent this epidemic from taking more lives," said Christian Heidbreder, Chief Scientific Officer of Indivior. "By coming together to remove barriers to treatment, fight against addiction stigma, and educate the public on the science of addiction, we can address this overdose crisis and help move those struggling with opioid use disorder toward a path to recovery."

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 cooccurring 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 co-occurring disorders of addiction, including alcohol use disorder. Headquartered in the United States in Richmond, VA, Indivior employs more than 800 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 press release contains certain statements that are forward-looking, and which should be considered, amongst other statutory provisions, in light of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty 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 and its medium- and long-term growth outlook, its operational goals, its product development pipeline and statements regarding ongoing litigation. Various factors may cause differences between Indivior's expectations and actual results, including: factors affecting sales of Indivior Group's products; the outcome of research and development activities; decisions by regulatory authorities regarding the Indivior Group's drug applications; the speed with which regulatory authorizations, pricing approvals and product launches may be achieved; the outcome of post-approval clinical trials; competitive developments; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; 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; 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 the ongoing investigative and antitrust litigation matters; 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; 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. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of shares in the Company to any person in any jurisdiction to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

References

1. Volkow ND Collision of the COVID-19 and Addiction Epidemics. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Jul 7;173(1):61-62. https://doi.org/10.7326/M20-1212  

2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP20-07-01-001, NSDUH Series H-55). Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/  

3. "SAMHSA's Annual Mental Health, Substance Use Data Provide Roadmap for Future Action." SAMHSA, 11 Sept. 2020, www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-announcements/202009110221.  

4. Wakeman SE, Larochelle MR, Ameli O, Chaisson CE, McPheeters JT, Crown WH, Azocar F, Sanghavi DM. Comparative Effectiveness of Different Treatment Pathways for Opioid Use Disorder. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(2):e1920622.

5. "Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 Aug. 2020, www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm?source=email  

6. Kamp, Jon, and Arian Campo-Flores. "The Opioid Crisis, Already Serious, Has Intensified During Coronavirus Pandemic." The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 8 Sept. 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-opioid-crisis-already-serious-has-intensified-during-coronaviruspandemic-11599557401

7. "Issue brief: Reports of increases in opioid related overdose and other concerns during COVID pandemic." American Medical Association- Advocacy Resource Center, 8 Sept. 2020, https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-09/issue-brief-increases-in-opioid-related-overdose.pdf

SOURCE Indivior

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