Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Buprenorphine

ACS Chem Neurosci. 2020 May 20;11(10):1385-1399. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00100. Epub 2020 Apr 29.

Abstract

Buprenorphine has not only had an interdisciplinary impact on our understanding of key neuroscience topics like opioid pharmacology, pain signaling, and reward processing but has also been a key influence in changing the way that substance use disorders are approached in modern medical systems. From its leading role in expanding outpatient treatment of opioid use disorders to its continued influence on research into next-generation analgesics, buprenorphine has been a continuous player in the ever-evolving societal perception of opioids and substance use disorder. To provide a multifaceted account on the enormous diversity of areas where this molecule has made an impact, this article discusses buprenorphine's chemical properties, synthesis and development, pharmacology, adverse effects, manufacturing information, and historical place in the field of chemical neuroscience.

Keywords: Buprenorphine; MAT; OUD; Suboxone; opioid use disorder.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics, Opioid / therapeutic use
  • Buprenorphine* / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Narcotic Antagonists
  • Opioid-Related Disorders* / drug therapy
  • Reward

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Narcotic Antagonists
  • Buprenorphine