A New Option for Treatment at Addiction Outreach Clinic: Sublocade and Brixadi

Recovery looks different for everyone. For many people living with opioid use disorder (OUD), finding a treatment that fits their daily life can be one of the biggest challenges on the path forward. That is why Addiction Outreach Clinic (AOC) is excited to announce that starting in June of 2026, we will be offering two new monthly injectable medications for OUD: Sublocade and Brixadi.

These are not entirely new medications in terms of what they do. Both are forms of buprenorphine, a well-established, FDA-approved treatment for opioid use disorder. What makes them different is how they are delivered and how long they last.

What Are Sublocade and Brixadi?

Sublocade and Brixadi are both long-acting, injectable forms of buprenorphine. Unlike the daily sublingual films or tablets that many patients know from our existing treatment program, these medications are administered as a single injection once a month by a healthcare provider. Once injected, the medication releases slowly into the body over the course of the month, maintaining consistent levels without requiring any daily action from the patient.

Buprenorphine works as a partial opioid agonist, meaning it activates opioid receptors in the brain in a controlled and limited way. This helps reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms without producing the high associated with misuse. As a long-acting injectable, that effect is sustained consistently for the full month.

How Do the Injections Work?

Both Sublocade and Brixadi use extended-release formulations that allow buprenorphine to be delivered subcutaneously, meaning just beneath the skin, typically in the abdomen. Over the following weeks, the medication is gradually absorbed into the bloodstream, creating a steady and stable concentration rather than the peaks and dips that can sometimes occur with daily dosing.

The two medications differ slightly in their formulations and available dosing options, but both are designed to deliver the same core benefit: reliable, uninterrupted buprenorphine treatment over a full month. Your AOC provider will help determine which option is the right fit based on your individual treatment history and needs.

Who Might Be a Good Candidate?

These injections can be especially helpful for people who find daily medication management difficult due to busy schedules, travel, or other life demands. By removing the daily routine, they simplify treatment and reduce one potential source of stress in the recovery process.

Monthly injectables are one tool within a broader, individualized approach to care. If you have questions about whether this is a good fit for you, the AOC care team is the right place to start.

Why This Matters for Recovery

One of the most significant challenges in treating OUD is treatment adherence. Life happens. Doses get missed. The daily routine of managing medication can carry its own burden. By shifting to a once-monthly injection, patients no longer need to think about their medication every single day. That consistency is not just convenient, it can be genuinely protective.

Research on long-acting injectable buprenorphine has shown meaningful improvements in treatment retention compared to daily oral formulations. Staying in treatment longer is one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes in recovery from OUD. 

Available at Addiction Outreach Clinic Starting in June

Beginning in June of 2026, AOC providers will be able to discuss Sublocade and Brixadi as part of your individualized treatment plan. You can find a location near you across our eight Ohio and Pennsylvania clinics. Whatever your next step looks like, we are here to walk it with you.