OxyContin billionaire has patented a drug to wean addicts from opioids

Re:OxyContin billionaire has patented a drug to wean addicts... by girvo on Saturday September 08, 2018 @11:07PM (#17944115)

Which is why I said "bupe" instead of naming either formulation. Suboxone is just as IV-abusable as Subutex itself. It makes little difference in practice. (I'm on Subutex, but that's because I'm on 0.8mg daily -- down from 32mg originally. I've never abused mine, because I really don't see the point, but I've seen enough people who have). Subutex is barely prescribed at all in Australia, where I'm from, but it makes effectively zero difference in IV usage -- the naltrexone does nothing compared to how strongly bupe itself binds to your receptors.

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Re:OxyContin billionaire has patented a drug to wean addicts... by epmaybe on Saturday September 08, 2018 @11:19PM (#17944156)

Sure, they're both IV abusable, but my point was that for the patients that are still addicted to opioids the more immediate dissolve of the patented formulation would make it more preferable to subutex for providers, simply because they know that a patient couldn't take the tablet out of their mouth since it would have dissolved immediately. It's those patients we're trying to get back on track with something better, not the patients we know are able to manage on take-home regimens.

> the naltrexone does nothing compared to how strongly bupe itself binds to your receptors.

What? First of all, it's naloxone rather than naltrexone that is found in suboxone. Subutex doesn't have either of them. And secondly, it's very, VERY well known that naloxone/naltrexone have far more binding affinity to the mu-opioid receptor (the type that we think causes euphoria/analgesia) compared to any sort of opioid we have on the market (maybe not sufentanyl, but even that I'm fairly certain is weaker affinity). That's exactly why we can use Narcan effectively to combat opioid overdose.

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Re:OxyContin billionaire has patented a drug to wean addicts... by girvo on Saturday September 08, 2018 @11:26PM (#17944180)

> What? First of all, it's naloxone rather than naltrexone that is found in suboxone. Subutex doesn't have either of them.

I always get them mixed up, but it really isn't changing my point. And yes, no kidding, you brought up Suboxone as well as Subutex which is why I'm discussing it! I'd really prefer if you read my comments with a little more charity. Anyway, it doesn't appear as if you're listening to my point here, and that's okay :) Have a good day

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