Patent ID: 9211268
Filing Date: 2015-12-15
Classification: A61K,A61P

Abstract:
1. A method of treating opioid dependence in a patient in need thereof, the method comprising: providing an initial dosing regimen that is a maintenance dosage of an opioid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof selected from the group consisting of morphine, codeine, thebaine, hydromorphone, hydrocodone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, desomorphine, nicomorphine, dipropanoylmorphine, benzylmorphine, ethylmorphine, fentanyl, pethidine, propoxyphene, and methadone that the patient has dependence on, the initial dosing regimen being sufficient to minimize withdrawal symptoms wherein the initial dosing regimen has at least one predefined dosing period of at least two days with doses taken at least two times per day; titrating a lowest concentration level of the opioid in the blood of the patient immediately before the end of the initial dosing regimen or immediately before a second or later dose of the initial dosing regimen; and administering to the patient a plurality of dosages for a plurality of subsequent dosing periods opioid in a tapering manner after the initial dosing regimen wherein each subsequent dosing period of the plurality of dosing periods provides a dosing amount that is less than the dosing amount of the immediately preceding dosing period wherein the dosing amount in each subsequent dosing period provides a lowest concentration level in the blood of the opioid for the associated dosing period that is equal to at least ninety-five percent of the lowest concentration in the blood of the opioid of the immediately preceding dosing period; wherein each subsequent dosing period comprises administering a dosage of the opioid at least two times per day for at least two days; and wherein the total number of days for all dosing periods administered combined are administered for is sixty or more.