Extended-release buprenorphine for treatment of adolescent opioid use disorder
A new case series published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine highlights the need for more studies of extended-release buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) in adolescents under 18 years old.
A new case series published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine highlights the need for more studies of extended-release buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) in adolescents under 18 years old.
Why it matters
In recent years there has been an increase in adolescent OUD and adolescent opioid overdose deaths. Extended-release buprenorphine has been shown to be a safe and effective medication in adults but not offered to adolescents due to lack of safety data. Larger studies are needed to establish the safety and efficacy of extended-release buprenorphine for treatment in this population.
The big picture
In this case series, the researchers discuss six cases of patients younger than 18 years old with severe OUD who receive(d) treatment of extended-release buprenorphine at the Children’s National Hospital Addictions Program and Howard University Hospital. All patients reported a history of smoking fentanyl as their primary method of use.
Initial treatment began with sublingual buprenorphine-naloxone but then transitioned to extended-release buprenorphine. The authors stated, “Transition to extended-release buprenorphine was most frequently done due to patient nonadherence with a daily sublingual buprenorphine medication regimen, ongoing fentanyl use and concerns surrounding the difficulty with administration of the sublingual buprenorphine.”
How does this work move the field forward?
Extended-release buprenorphine is not an FDA approved intervention due to lack of safety data in patients younger than 18. Overall, little clinical research is being done in adolescents with OUD.
“Given the current overdose crisis among adolescents caused by fentanyl and the rising number of kids with OUD, more intervention options are needed,” says Sivabalaji Kaliamurthy, MD, director of the Addictions Program at Children’s National and lead author of the study. “We are hoping that this work will decrease provider hesitance to offer this intervention and will also provide data to help with insurance coverage.”
Children’s National leads the way
Dr. Kaliamurthy says, “The uniqueness of this work comes from our ability as a hospital to provide appropriate care for children struggling with severe addiction, navigating and overcoming significant barriers along the way that other programs have struggled to address. We are offering a treatment that is effective and the kids in treatment are doing well.”
You can read the full study The Use of Extended-Release Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Adolescent Opioid Use Disorder: A Case Series in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.
