Abuse Liability of Suboxone Versus Subutex

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00710385
• Recruitment Status: Completed
• First Posted: July 4, 2008
• Results First Posted: December 5, 2016
• Last Update Posted: December 5, 2016
• Sponsor: New York State Psychiatric Institute
• Collaborator: Schering-Plough
• Information provided by (Responsible Party): New York State Psychiatric Institute

Study Description

Brief Summary:

The study is designed to compare the abuse liabilities of intravenous buprenorphine and buprenorphine/naloxone in individuals who are physically dependent on sublingual buprenorphine. We hypothesize that the abuse liability of buprenorphine/naloxone is lower than that of buprenorphine alone.

Condition or disease	Intervention/treatment	Phase
Opioid-related Disorders	Drug: Heroin; Drug: Naloxone; Drug: Low Bup Dose; Drug: High Bup Dose; Drug: Low Bup/Nal Dose; Drug: High Bup/Nal Dose; Drug: Placebo (PCB)	Phase 3

Detailed Description:

Drug dependence is a major international public health problem of which opioid dependence, notably involving heroin, is a major component. Opioid dependence affects an estimated 13 million injection drug users (IDUs) worldwide. The high health service costs for the treatment of diseases related to non-medical drug use and the high cost to society of drug-related behavior have prompted researchers to seek new medications and treatment strategies for opioid dependence. Buprenorphine, a mu-opiate receptor partial agonist and kappa-opiate receptor antagonist, is one such new medication that has had a significant role in expanding access to effective opioid dependence treatment. It is available as Subutex (buprenorphine alone) or Suboxone (a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone). Although it is commonly believed that the abuse potential of buprenorphine is low, numerous countries have reported illicit diversion of buprenorphine and a growing population of buprenorphine abusers. Theoretically, Suboxone would have lower abuse potential. When used sublingually, as prescribed, the amount of naloxone absorbed is negligible. However, if a patient crushes the tablet and attempts to inject or sniff the medication, the naloxone will become effective as an opioid antagonist and may precipitate withdrawal signs and symptoms in individuals dependent on full opioid agonists and/or attenuate the euphoric effects of the buprenorphine that is also contained in the medication. To date, few laboratory studies have evaluated the abuse liability of buprenorphine in humans using a drug self-administration protocol. We are proposing to evaluate the abuse potential of intravenous (IV) buprenorphine compared to IV buprenorphine/naloxone in buprenorphine-maintained injection drug users (IDUs), incorporating self-administration procedures with other measures of opioid effects. The proposed study will investigate the conditions that affect the self-administration of IV buprenorphine by buprenorphine abusers. The primary aim of the study is to compare the reinforcing effects of IV buprenorphine and IV buprenorphine/naloxone in IDUs maintained on different doses of sublingual buprenorphine (2, 8, and 24 mg/day). Secondary aims of the study are to compare the subjective, performance and physiological effects of IV buprenorphine and IV buprenorphine/naloxone. IV-administered placebo (saline), naloxone alone, and heroin alone will be tested as neutral, negative, and positive control conditions, respectively. Participants (N=12 completers) will reside on an inpatient unit (the General Clinical Research Unit, GCRU) during a 7 to 8-week study. This research will provide useful information for clinicians treating opioid dependent individuals with buprenorphine, and importantly, will provide information about the abuse potential and effects of buprenorphine on multiple measures of human functioning.

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional (Clinical Trial)
• Actual Enrollment: 19 participants
• Allocation: Randomized
• Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Official Title: Reinforcing Effects of Intravenous Buprenorphine Versus Buprenorphine/Naloxone in Buprenorphine-maintained Intravenous Drug Users (P05207)
• Study Start Date: September 2007
• Actual Primary Completion Date: August 2008
• Actual Study Completion Date: August 2008

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/treatment
Active Comparator: Heroin; Heroin 25 mg. Administered intravenously, while participants were under 2, 8 and 24 sublingual (SL) Bup maintenance conditions.	Drug: Heroin; Heroin (25 mg); Other Name: Diacetylmorphine
Active Comparator: Naloxone; Naloxone (NAL) .4 mg. Administered intravenously, while participants were under 2, 8 and 24 sublingual (SL) Bup maintenance conditions.	Drug: Naloxone; .4 mg; Other Name: Naloxone Hydrochloride (HCl)
Experimental: Low Bup Dose; Combined dosing groups of (4 mg and 8mg of Buprenorphine) for participants who administered a maximum of 8 mg of Bup during the qualification phase. Administered intravenously, while participants were under 2, 8 and 24 sublingual (SL) Bup maintenance conditions.	Drug: Low Bup Dose; 4 and 8 mg; Other Name: Subutex
Experimental: Low Bup/Nal Dose; Combined dosing groups of (4/1 mg and 8/2mg of Buprenorphine + Naloxone) for participants who administered a maximum of 8 mg of Bup during the qualification phase. Administered intravenously, while participants were under 2, 8 and 24 sublingual (SL) Bup maintenance conditions.	Drug: Low Bup/Nal Dose; Buprenorphine/Naloxone 4/1 mg, 8/2 mg; Other Name: Suboxone
Experimental: High Bup Dose; Combined dosing groups of (8mg and 16mg of Bup) for participants who administered a maximum of 16 mg of Bup during the qualification phase. Administered intravenously, while participants were under 2, 8 and 24 sublingual (SL) Bup maintenance conditions.	Drug: High Bup Dose; 8mg and 16 mg; Other Name: Subutex
Experimental: High Bup/Nal Dose; Combined dosing groups of (8/2mg and 16/4mg of Buprenorphine + Naloxone) for participants who administered a maximum of 16 mg of Bup during the qualification phase. Administered intravenously, while participants were under 2, 8 and 24 sublingual (SL) Bup maintenance conditions.	Drug: High Bup/Nal Dose; Buprenorphine/Naloxone 8/2 mg, 16/4 mg; Other Name: Suboxone
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Intravenous placebo (PCB) administration. Administered intravenously, while participants were under 2, 8 and 24 sublingual (SL) Bup maintenance conditions.	Drug: Placebo (PCB); Placebo control administration; Other Name: 0 mg

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures :

1. Drug's Breakpoint [ Time Frame: Single measurement taken following each of the 7 IV experimental doses ]
   Measure of a drug's reinforcing effects. The "Breakpoint" is the point at which the participant stop performing an operant task (clicks on a mouse) in order to received the drug. Therefore, the reported breakpoint is the total amount of work the participant was willing to perform to receive the dose being tested

Secondary Outcome Measures :

1. Drug "Liking" [ Time Frame: Peak (highest) rating obtained following drug administration throughout the entire 3 hr session ]
   Participant's subjective ratings of how much they "Like" the dose they just received on a scale of 0 -100.

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 Years to 45 Years (Adult)
• Sexes Eligible for Study: All
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) IV criteria for heroin dependence
• No major mood, psychotic, or anxiety disorder
• Physically healthy
• Able to perform study procedures
• 21-45 years of age
• Normal body weight
• Current use of i.v. opioids in amounts and/or frequencies that meet or exceed those used in the proposed study (1-2 bags of heroin per occasion at least twice per day)
• Self-administer at least 4 mg i.v. buprenorphine above placebo levels during the dose run up phase

Exclusion Criteria:

• DSM IV criteria for dependence on drugs other than opioids, nicotine or caffeine
• Participants requesting treatment
• Participants on parole or probation
• Pregnancy or lactation
• Birth, miscarriage or abortion within 6 months
• Current or recent history of significant violent behavior
• Current major Axis I psychopathology, other than opioid dependence (e.g., mood disorder with functional impairment or suicide risk, schizophrenia), that might interfere with ability to participate in the study
• aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) > 3 times the upper limit of normal
• Significant suicide risk
• Current chronic pain
• Sensitivity, allergy, or contraindication to opioids
• Current or recent (past 30 days) physical dependence on or treatment with methadone, buprenorphine, or the buprenorphine/naloxone combination

Contacts and Locations

Locations

United States, New York

New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University

New York, New York, United States, 10032

Sponsors and Collaborators

New York State Psychiatric Institute

Schering-Plough

Investigators

• Principal Investigator: Sandra D Comer, PhD; Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute

More Information

Publications of Results:

Comer SD, Sullivan MA, Vosburg SK, Manubay J, Amass L, Cooper ZD, Saccone P, Kleber HD. Abuse liability of intravenous buprenorphine/naloxone and buprenorphine alone in buprenorphine-maintained intravenous heroin abusers. Addiction. 2010 Apr;105(4):709-18. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02843.x. Erratum In: Addiction. 2010 Jul;105(7):1332.

• Responsible Party: New York State Psychiatric Institute
• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00710385
• Other Study ID Numbers: 5518
• First Posted: July 4, 2008
• Results First Posted: December 5, 2016
• Last Update Posted: December 5, 2016
• Last Verified: December 2012

Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:

• Plan to Share IPD: Yes
• Plan Description: Data have been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Opioid-Related Disorders; Narcotic-Related Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Buprenorphine; Heroin; Naloxone; Narcotic Antagonists; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Sensory System Agents; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Analgesics, Opioid; Narcotics; Central Nervous System Depressants; Analgesics