Publication of our health economic research on long-acting injectable buprenorphine

Last year, Edge Health was commissioned by Camurus to build a cost–benefit model of long-acting injectable buprenorphine (LAIB) as a treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) in England. We are pleased to share that this work has since been formally written up and peer-reviewed, and is now published with open access in ClinicoEconomics and Outcomes Research.

The paper, co-authored by Samuel Rasche and George Batchelor at Edge Health, alongside academic collaborators at Liverpool John Moores University and Camurus, presents a societal cost-benefit analysis of increased uptake of LAIB in England. The analysis estimated that approximately 30,000 people could receive LAIB annually, generating £236 million in projected benefits against £77 million in costs; a benefit-cost ratio of 3.1. The largest share of benefits was driven by reductions in crime and incarceration, followed by employment gains, improved quality of life, prevented fatalities, and reduced healthcare utilisation.

The publication of this project in a peer-reviewed journal reflects our commitment to producing analyses that meet academic standards; rigorous, evidence-based work that can inform policy and commissioning decisions.

You can read the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.2147/CEOR.S590462

Or revisit our original case study: https://www.edgehealth.co.uk/news-insights/the-cost-benefit-of-long-acting-injectable-buprenorphine/