The long-acting injectable prescription opioid Sublocade, used to treat opioid dependency, will be withdrawn from the Australian market by the end of 2024, US pharmaceutical company Indivior has confirmed.
Commercial Decision Sparks Concern
A company spokesperson described the move as a “commercial decision,” sparking alarm among healthcare professionals who consider the drug life-saving for many patients. Sublocade was added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in 2020 and is considered a significant advance in treatment because it is administered as a monthly injection, unlike methadone and buprenorphine which require daily or frequent pharmacy visits.
This announcement comes less than a month after AstraZeneca said it would remove the breast cancer and endometriosis medicine Zoladex from the PBS and private market, also citing a lack of commercial viability.
Impact on Patients and Clinicians
Melbourne GP Dr Owen Harris stated that in his experience, “the Sublocade product is just much better for some people. It’s more stable, it lasts longer, people feel better on it, and it really has been life-changing for them. Some people can stretch their dose out to once every six weeks, or even longer. It, quite honestly, has been life-saving and life-changing for many of my patients.”
A federal health department spokesperson acknowledged that “any proposed discontinuation of a medicine can cause concern for patients and clinicians,” but noted that “these are commercial decisions made by private companies, and the Australian government cannot compel a company to continue supply.”
US Policy Changes Driving Market Shifts
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said last month that drugs pricing is in an enormous state of flux amid US policy changes. The US “most favoured nations” approach, advocated by Donald Trump, argues that the US should pay the same price as “reference countries” like Australia. Critics say pharmaceutical companies may raise prices in smaller markets or pull out altogether to protect their US profits.
Brendan Shaw, an adjunct professor at the University of Sydney’s pharmacy school and former CEO of Medicines Australia, said the US position has “caused chaos across the industry and the health sector worldwide as the companies all readjust to this.” He suspects more drugs might be pulled from the Australian market due to “pressures that are building internationally.”
Addiction Treatment Ecosystem at Risk
Pharmacist Angelo Pricolo, who first administered Buvidal in Australia in 2020, highlighted “significant differences” between Sublocade and Buvidal, both containing buprenorphine. “We sometimes see those requiring higher doses do better with Sublocade and also the duration of action importantly can be different. Choice for the patient and healthcare provider is very important and can be the factor that determines engagement in treatment or indeed a return to drug use.”
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, on a snapshot day in 2025, 57,740 Australians were receiving pharmacotherapy treatment for opioid dependence. Pricolo warned that “if we only have one drug and for some unforeseeable reason it cannot be accessed, then that is a huge issue. The addiction treatment space is a delicate ecosystem with an already vulnerable cohort now seemingly dealt another unfair result.”
