Buprenorphine Implant For Treatment Of Opioid Dependence

Buprenorphine is a partial μ-opioid agonist used to treat patients with an opioid addiction. Administered transmucosally, buprenorphine can be used with or without naloxone, which is an opioid antagonist. Though effective, a clinical strategy of using transmucosal buprenorphine is prone to nonadherence, diversion, abuse, and accidental misuse. To lower these risks and improve adherence. A buprenorphine (Probuphine) implant has been developed to provide sustained delivery of buprenorphine for up to 6 months via 4 subdermally inserted rods. Probuphine is intended as a maintenance treatment for a select subgroup of opioid-dependent patients who are clinically stable on a low dose of transmucosal buprenorphine (≤8 mg/d). These implants are inappropriate for new treatment recipients and those who do not have sustained and prolonged clinical stability while being maintained on a generic equivalent of buprenorphine.