Updated 12/01/2017

U.S. health officials have approved the first injectable form of the leading medication to treat patients recovering from addiction to heroin, prescription painkillers and other opioids.

The monthly injection has the potential to reduce dangerous relapses that occur when patients stop taking their daily medication. But that benefit has not yet been established.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the injectable drug for adults with opioid use disorder who are already on stable doses of the addiction medication.

More than 64,000 Americans died from drug overdoses last year, mostly from opioids.