Buprenorphine Is An Opioid Agonist And Antagonist With Weak Mu-Opioid Receptor Affinities

Buprenorphine is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a medication-assisted treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) (MAT). Opioid, like all MAT medications, should be prescribed as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes counselling and other behavioural therapies to give patients a whole-person approach.

Opioid is the first OUD medication that can be prescribed or dispensed in a doctor's office, significantly increasing treatment access. Opioid has several advantages for those with OUD and others for whom treatment in a methadone clinic is ineffective or inconvenient. Opioid has different effects on different types of opioid receptors. It can be an agonist, partial agonist, or antagonist depending on the type of receptor.

Buprenorphine is an agonist/antagonist in the treatment of opioid use disorder, which means it relieves withdrawal symptoms from other opioids and induces some euphoria while also blocking the ability of many other opioids, including heroin, to cause an effect. In contrast to full agonists such as heroin or methadone, opioid has a ceiling effect, which means that taking more medicine will not increase the drug's effects.

During the forecast period, the rising prevalence of multiple sclerosis is expected to drive growth in the Global Buprenorphine Market.

Respiratory depression (reduced breathing), sleepiness, adrenal insufficiency, QT prolongation, low blood pressure, allergic reactions, constipation, and opioid addiction are all possible side effects. There is a risk of further seizures in people who have had seizures in the past. Opioid withdrawal after discontinuing Buprenorphine is generally less severe than withdrawal from other opioids.

It is unclear whether use during pregnancy is safe, but use while breastfeeding is probably safe because the infant receives 1-2% of the maternal dose based on weight. Only designated clinics in the United States and the European Union can prescribe methadone for opioid use disorder, requiring patients to travel to the clinic on a daily basis. If patients are drug-free for a period of time, they may be allowed to receive "take home doses," reducing their visits to once a week.

Both Buprenorphine and methadone are medications used for detoxification and opioid replacement therapy, and based on limited data, they appear to be equally effective. Both are safe for pregnant women suffering from opioid use disorder. Despite preliminary evidence, methadone appears to be more likely to cause neonatal abstinence syndrome.