Alkermes Inc. and Cephalon Inc. said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved their drug, Vivitrol, an injectable form of naltrexone administered monthly to help control cravings for alcohol.
The companies hope monthly injections of the drug, to be administered at a doctor's office, will prove an easier regimen for alcoholics to follow than the daily pill.
The drug is to be used in conjunction with counseling or group therapy, the companies said. The drug works by blocking neurotransmitters in the brain believed to be associated with alcohol dependence, diminishing the
