Conditions: Opioid Dependence, on Agonist Therapy
Keywords: Opioid Dependence agonist buprenorphine naloxone BUP/NAL
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 759
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study was to assess retention in treatment after induction with buprenorphine/naloxone (BNX) sublingual tablets compared with generic buprenorphine and after stabilization with BNX sublingual tablets compared with BNX film. Secondary objectives included assessment of treatment effects on opioid withdrawal symptoms, opioid cravings, and safety.

Detailed description:
This prospective, randomized, multicenter, parallel-group, non-inferiority study was conducted at 43 centers in the United States from August 2013 to April 2014. A non-inferior design was used because both products contain the same active components, and it was considered unethical to include a placebo arm. The study comprised an induction phase of 2 days and a stabilization phase of 20 days, with study visits scheduled on Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 15, and 22. Eligible opioid-dependent patients were randomly assigned within 14 days of screening to induction with either the BNX sublingual tablets or generic buprenorphine tablets for 2 days. On Day 3, patients initially allocated to buprenorphine were switched to BNX film, whereas those allocated to BNX sublingual tablets continued on the same treatment. On Day 15, patients receiving BNX film were switched to BNX sublingual tablets, and those on BNX sublingual tablets were switched to BNX film. At the final study visit on Day 22, patients were offered the option of continuing in an open-label follow-up study of BNX sublingual tablets.

Arms:
arm 1: Days 1-2: Generic buprenorphine sublingual tablets (blinded); Days 3 to 14: Buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual film (open-label); Days 15-21: BNX sublingual tablets (open-label); Day 22: Offered option in continuing in open-label follow-up study of BNX sublingual tablets arm 2: Days 1-2: BNX sublingual tablets (blinded); Days 3 to 14: BNX sublingual tablets (open-label); Days 15-21: Buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual film (open-label); Day 22: Offered option in continuing in open-label follow-up study of BNX sublingual tablets

Interventions: intervention 1: BNX sublingual tablets intervention 2: BNX sublingual film intervention 3: Buprenorphine
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual tablets intervention 2: Buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual film intervention 3: Buprenorphine sublingual tablets

Protocol document: