Drug Database
BU

buprenorphine

✓ Approved

Roche · OPRK1 · Small Molecule

What is buprenorphine?

buprenorphine is a small molecule developed by Roche. It is approved for therapeutic indications via oral (po) or sublingual (sl)/oral transmucosal.

Drug Profile

CompanyRoche
Drug ClassSmall Molecule
Molecular TargetOPRK1, OPRM1
RouteOral (PO), Sublingual (SL)/Oral Transmucosal
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Roche

Mechanism of Action

Molecular Targets

buprenorphine acts on 2 molecular targets:

OPRK1opioid receptor kappa 1 (KOR1, OPRK)
OPRM1opioid receptor mu 1 (MOR1, LMOR)
Want deeper analysis?Noah AI can explain complex mechanisms and compare to similar drugs.

Therapeutic Indications

buprenorphine is developed for 1 unique indication across 1 therapeutic area.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Gastrointestinal disordersAbdominal pain✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedSpecial care in dentistry : official publication of the American Association of Hospital Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry for the Handicapped, and the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry2026-07-25

Adverse Oral Mucosal Reaction to Sublingual Captopril: A Case Report With Exploratory Insights Into AI-Assisted Clinical Reasoning.

Júnior Antônio Roberto Garcia ARG, Velane Catarina Melquiades CM, Magario Caroline Akemi Mendes CAM, Pina Paulo Sergio PS et al.

To describe a probable oral mucosal injury associated with the off-label sublingual administration of captopril in a medically complex patient, and to illustrate the role of structured clinical reasoning in identifying route-related adverse drug reactions, with exploratory insights into AI-assisted reasoning. A 77-year-old patient presented with persistent burning pain and a progressive oral mucosal lesion on the floor of the mouth. Despite appropriate management of local infectious and mechanical factors, symptoms worsened over time. A consistent temporal relationship was observed between lesion exacerbation and repeated sublingual captopril use during hypertensive episodes. Structured clinical reasoning, including iterative causal analysis, supported identification of a probable route-related adverse drug reaction. Discontinuation of sublingual captopril, combined with topical corticosteroid therapy, resulted in complete resolution of the lesion. An exploratory interaction with a large language model was conducted to examine how structured clinical input may influence the coherence and clinical relevance of AI-assisted reasoning. Sublingual administration of captopril may cause localized chemical injury to the oral mucosa, particularly in vulnerable patients with complex medical conditions. Recognition of route-specific adverse effects is essential to avoid unnecessary interventions and improve patient outcomes. This case also illustrates that AI-assisted reasoning is highly dependent on the structure and quality of clinical input, supporting its role as a complementary cognitive tool rather than an autonomous diagnostic system.

PMID 42499297
Read full article →
PubMedBMJ case reports2026-07-25

Infiltrating floor of mouth lipoma plunging through the mylohyoid.

Snow Michael Gregory MG, Yuan Jiaxin J, Qari Hiba H, Lee Kevin Chungen KC

Lipomas are commonly occurring benign adipocytic tumours of mesenchymal origin and can be found anywhere there is native fatty tissue. In the head and neck region, they typically arise in the cervical fibrofatty tissue of the neck and rarely originate intraorally. Intraoral lipomas can arise out of the sparse sublingual fat and be intimately involved with the tongue and floor of the mouth musculature. This case report highlights a rare infiltrating intraoral lipoma in the floor of the mouth region involving the mylohyoid.

PMID 42498320
Read full article →
PubMedJournal of the American Pharmacists Association : JAPhA2026-07-25

Community pharmacists' perceptions of long-acting injectable buprenorphine administration in community pharmacies: A cross-sectional survey study.

Marley Grace G, Farrel Brianna B, Carpenter Delesha D

Long-acting injectable buprenorphine (LAI-B) is an evidence-based medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), but its implementation in community pharmacies has not been well studied. This study's objective was to assess southeastern North Carolina (NC) community pharmacist perspectives on the perceived acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of LAI-B administration and identify the barriers and facilitators to LAI-B administration in community pharmacies. We conducted an online survey of practicing community pharmacists between January 14 and March 14, 2026. The survey assessed knowledge of and willingness to administer LAI-B, perceived benefits and barriers, training needs, and perceived acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of administering LAI-B. Descriptive statistics are reported. Forty-four eligible responses were included in the analysis (response rate= 16%). On average, pharmacists were neutral to somewhat willing to administer LAI-B and also had neutral-to-positive perceptions of acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility. The most frequently endorsed benefits of LAI-B were decreased diversion, supporting patients in recovery, reducing overdose deaths, and increasing revenue. The most prominent barriers involved reimbursement and payment. Other barriers included limited training, workflow constraints, and lack of provider referrals. Pharmacists reported low knowledge regarding LAI-B Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy requirements, follow-up monitoring, and storage, and expressed interest in training on those topics. Pharmacy-based LAI-B administration could be a promising strategy to expand access to MOUD. However, implementation will require clearer reimbursement pathways, targeted training, and workflow support.

PMID 42498130
Read full article →
PubMedThe Journal of allergy and clinical immunology2026-07-25

Achieving disease modification with food allergy therapies: An international perspective.

Anagnostou Aikaterini A, Bégin Phillipe P, Eiwegger Thomas T, Greenhawt Matthew M et al.

A disease-modifying therapy aims to alter natural history by delaying or reversing disease progression. This rostrum examines expert opinion regarding the concept of disease modification in food allergy and contextualizes relevant definitions, such as desensitization, sustained unresponsiveness, tolerance, and remission. It evaluates evidence-based disease-modifying effects of current and emerging therapeutic strategies from clinical and immunological to patient-centered perspectives. Evidence from oral, epicutaneous and sublingual immunotherapy demonstrates that desensitization is common and that a subset of patients consistently achieve sustained unresponsiveness or remission after treatment discontinuation. Studies to date have noted that younger age and lower baseline allergen-specific IgE may predict more durable responses, although findings are inconsistent across populations and allergens. Immunologic changes associated with these outcomes include suppression of Type 2 cellular responses, modulation of B-cell compartments and induction of blocking antibodies, but no clear link to a specific clinical state can be claimed. Currently approved biologics enhance protection during active treatment, but have limited evidence for direct disease modification, although they may facilitate tolerance when combined with allergen exposure. Patient-reported outcomes, especially quality of life and self-efficacy remain critical yet underutilized measures of therapeutic benefit. Clinical trial designs face multiple challenges in evaluating long-term disease modification. While the clinical states of desensitization, sustained unresponsiveness, tolerance and remission may involve partial or complete disease modification in food allergy, no consensus definition exists or relevant biomarker has been identified to date. Future work will require harmonized definitions, innovative trial designs and therapies targeting long-lived immunological memory with continued emphasis on patient-centered outcomes and real-world clinical relevance.

PMID 42498123
Read full article →
PubMedIndian journal of psychiatry2026-07-24

A cost-minimization analysis of telemedicine vs standard induction for buprenorphine: Evidence from a randomized clinical trial in India.

Singh Amudeep A, Dhillon Harpreet S HS, Purohit Neha N, Ghosh Abhishek A et al.

In-person buprenorphine induction poses substantial cost and access barriers in India's opioid agonist treatment programs, while telemedicine-assisted induction may offer a scalable, lower-cost alternative. To compare the societal costs of telemedicine-assisted buprenorphine induction (TABI) with standard care (SOC), while evaluating treatment retention and quality-of-life (QoL) outcomes. An economic evaluation was embedded within a randomized controlled trial at a tertiary addiction treatment center, adopting a societal perspective. Health-system costs were estimated using a mixed top-down/bottom-up micro-costing approach for all participants (n = 138; SOC = 70, TABI = 68), while direct out-of-pocket and indirect wage-loss costs were assessed on day 7 in a predefined sub-sample (n = 57; SOC = 28, TABI = 29). Primary outcomes were 1-week retention and QoL; as effectiveness was comparable between arms, a cost-minimization analysis (CMA) was conducted. Mean health-system cost per induction was INR 3,545 (USD 42.26) for SOC vs INR 2,690 (USD 32.06) for TABI (24% lower). In the out-of-pocket expenditure (OOP) sub-sample, mean direct patient costs were INR 1,857 (USD 22.13) for SOC vs INR 776 (USD 9.24) for TABI (P < 0.001); mean indirect costs were INR 1,502 (USD 17.91) vs INR 766 (USD 9.13). Total mean societal cost per patient was INR 6,904 (USD 82.33) for SOC vs INR 4,232 (USD 31.88) for TABI (39% saving). Treatment retention was similar between groups (SOC: 76% vs TABI: 82%; P = 0.339), and both demonstrated comparable improvements in QoL at 1 week (84.00 vs 84.17; P = 0.912). Compared with standard induction, TABI substantially reduces health-system and patient costs, while maintaining comparable short-term retention and QoL.

PMID 42495029
Read full article →
PubMedThe European respiratory journal2026-07-24

Prevention of COPD exacerbations with a mucosal trained immunity-based vaccine (MV130): a randomised phase 3 trial.

Maestu Luis Puente LP, Rubio Myriam Calle MC, Benedetti Paola P, Matute Walther Iván Girón WIG et al.

Respiratory infections are the primary trigger of acute exacerbations in COPD, yet preventive strategies remain limited. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MV130, a sublingual mucosal vaccine, in preventing COPD exacerbations alongside maintenance therapy. A phase 3, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised clinical trial included 198 subjects across seven hospitals in Spain, with 1:1 allocation to MV130 or placebo. Eligible patients had ≥3 moderate COPD exacerbations or≥2 with at least one requiring hospitalisation in the previous year. Patients received MV130 (300 FTU) or placebo daily for 12 months. The primary outcome, assessed in both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) populations, was the number of exacerbations over 18 months (12 months of treatment +6 months follow-up). Secondary exploratory endpoints related to healthcare resource utilisation and medication use were also evaluated in the ITT population. Safety was also assessed in the ITT population. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01842360; EudraCT: 2012-003253-28). Between May 2013 and January 2018, 198 eligible participants (154 men, 44 women; 97 MV130, 101 placebo) were enrolled. Baseline COPD medication use was well balanced between the treatment groups. Median number of acute exacerbations in the ITT set was 3.0 [interquartile range, IQR, 1.0-5.0] for placebo versus 2.0 [IQR, 1.0-3.0] for MV130 (p=0.001). MV130 reduced exacerbation rate from 2.68 to 1.87 events per patient-year (95% CI 0.44-1.18; p<0.001). There were 229 adverse events (AEs) reported in 103 participants (52%), 113 (48.5%) in the placebo group and 116 (55.7%) in the MV130 group. Two AEs, urticaria (placebo) and pruritus (MV130), were non-serious and assessed as possibly related to the study medication. MV130 reduces moderate and severe COPD exacerbations, suggesting its potential role as an adjunct preventive therapy.

PMID 42492956
Read full article →

+9996 more articles available with a free account

Sign up free to view all articles →

Ask about buprenorphine