Medicines
Discover all available medicines and treatments
Discover all available medicines and treatments
Brand: Subutex, Suboxone, Butrans, Buprenex, Probuphine, Belbuca, Norspan, Temgesic
Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), acute and chronic pain, and occasionally as an adjunct in anesthesia. It acts as a partial agonist at the mu-opioid receptor, producing analgesic effects but with a lower risk of respiratory depression compared to full opioid agonists like morphine. It can be administered sublingually, buccally, transdermally, intravenously, intramuscularly, or intrathecally.
For treatment of opioid use disorder, moderate to severe pain, and as an adjunct in anesthesia.
Buprenorphine carries a Black Box Warning for risks of addiction, abuse, misuse, respiratory depression, and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. It should be prescribed and dispensed according to Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) requirements.
Outcome:
Respiratory depression, sedation, coma
Mechanism:
Additive CNS depressant effects
Outcome:
Constipation, urinary retention
Mechanism:
Additive anticholinergic effects
Outcome:
Potential for serotonin syndrome (rare)
Mechanism:
Possible interaction with serotonin pathways
Most likely new formulation: Long-acting injectable buprenorphine (2025, 70% confidence)
Based on increasing prevalence of opioid use disorder, the demand for buprenorphine is projected to grow by 8% annually over the next 5 years.
Opioid Partial Agonist, Analgesic
Thebaine Derivative