Objective: To compare the efficacy and acceptability of LAAM maintenance with methadone maintenance in the treatment of heroin dependence.

Opiate drugs are used to help people reduce their dependence on heroin (an opiate drug). Methadone needs daily doses, but the effects do not last 24 hours for many people. A dose of LAAM (levomethadyl acetate hydrochloride) works for two or three days. LAAM is not as widely available internationally as methadone, and may be withdrawn from the market because of concerns about life-threatening effects on the heart. The review found that LAAM is more effective than methadone at reducing heroin dependence, but there was not enough evidence from trials to draw conclusions about safety.