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Pilot Program Involving Prometa Treatment Program and Standard of Care Demonstrates Improved Outcomes in Methamphetamine Dependent, Medicaid Eligible Participants in Arizona

Posted on: Friday, 14 March 2008, 09:00 CDT

Community Bridges announced today the completion of a pilot program to assess the medical component of Hythiam's (NASDAQ:HYTM) Prometa Treatment Program (PTP) as a comparison to their standard ASAM medical detoxification protocol for Medicaid-eligible adults seeking treatment for Methamphetamine abuse. 100 total participants were included in the pilot program (50 in the PTP group and 50 in a control group). Patients were evaluated for program participation eligibility by Community Bridges treatment staff and given a medical assessment. Individuals seeking treatment for methamphetamine dependency at Community Bridges were offered the option to receive the standard ASAM medical detox protocol or to participate in the pilot and receive PTP as their detox protocol. The first 50 qualified individuals who volunteered for PTP were provided PTP as the medical portion of their detox protocol and offered an opportunity to participate in the Matrix Model Intensive Outpatient Therapy upon completion of detox. The control group of 50 Medicaid-eligible applicants for detox treatment chose not to participate in the PTP detox but volunteered to receive the standard ASAM-recommended medical detox protocol. They were also offered the opportunity to participate in the same Matrix Model Intensive Outpatient Therapy as follow-up treatment after detox.

The pilot was designed to follow participants through detox and into 16 weeks of Intensive Outpatient Therapy. The management of the treatment in the pilot was conducted in accordance with Community Bridges policies and standard operating procedures. PTP participants received the medical portion of the PTP over the first 3 days on an in-patient basis, and were offered the opportunity to participate in 16 weeks of Matrix Model Intensive Outpatient Therapy. The ASAM standard of care treatment group was provided crisis intervention and stabilization, offered the ASAM detox model in-patient protocol, and a follow up entry into the same 16 weeks of Matrix Model Intensive Outpatient Therapy as the PTP participants.

The group receiving the PTP demonstrated a higher rate of retention in detox over those receiving the ASAM standard of care treatment, and a reduction in cravings over the 16 week Intensive Outpatient Therapy period. Retention in treatment and reduced cravings are important to participant success in aftercare, which can lead to improving a participant's chances for long-term recovery.

Commenting on the outcomes, Dr. Frank Scarpati, Community Bridges CEO said, "We have historically struggled to engage and retain methamphetamine dependent individuals in detox and aftercare treatment. Of practical importance, using PROMETA, during this pilot we observed retention and completion of methamphetamine detox rates that were much higher than for those who did not receive PROMETA. As a methamphetamine treatment program provider, we are constantly seeking ways to improve our efforts to engage and retain a highly mobile population in treatment. We are encouraged by the results of this pilot."

58% of the PTP volunteers completed PTP detox and entered into Intensive Outpatient Therapy.

16% of the ASAM standard of care treatment participants completed detox and entered into Matrix Model Intensive Outpatient Therapy treatment.

During the remainder of the 16 week IOP, retention in the PTP group ranged from 54% to 28%, and in the ASAM standard of care treatment from 12% to 0%; the lower end of the range being at week 16.

Prior to entry into detox, initial assessment of cravings scores, using a 10 point scale, demonstrated 71% of the PTP participants with a score of 6 or higher, comparable to 79% for the ASAM standard of care group.

Due to low retention, a small number of cravings scores and urine screens were collected for the ASAM standard of care participants subsequent to initial assessment, and they were not an adequate basis for comparison to the PTP plus Intensive Outpatient Therapy participants.

During detox, after the first round of PTP infusions, the number dropped to 20% with a score of 6 or higher and further declined to 10% in the PTP group after the second round of infusions during week 4 of the pilot.

Urine screens were collected on a randomized basis under Community Bridges standard operating procedure. During the full course of treatment, 63% (30 of 48) PTP participants tested positive for amphetamine or methamphetamine at baseline, and one additional participant who was negative at baseline tested positive shortly thereafter.

13 of the initial 30 participants who tested at baseline did not participate beyond the first three days of the medical component of the PTP, and thus did not receive the entire PTP.

Of the remaining 17 participants, 71% tested negative throughout the duration of the pilot, 6% tested negative except for one positive during the last visit, and the other 24% tested positive at a subsequent visit, with 1 of these 4 then testing negative throughout the remainder of the pilot.

About Community Bridges

Founded in 1982, Community Bridges offers crisis services, medical detoxification clinical programs, and transition management services to clients. The medical detoxification programs generally last from three to seven days and are designed to ensure that all men and women referred to Community Bridges are clinically triaged, safely detoxed, and referred into a therapeutic continuum of care. All Community Bridges services are licensed by the Arizona Department of Health, Division of Behavioral Health Licensure, and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Community Bridges is a leading provider of emergency addiction treatment and medical detoxification services to Magellan Health Services of Arizona, the behavioral health services provider for Medicaid managed care in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Source: Business Wire

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