Indivior PLC (LSE:INDV) said it published results from a study assessing the effectiveness of buprenorphines on reducing respiratory depression and apnea (cessation of breathing) associated with escalating doses of the opioid fentanyl.
The primary endpoint of the study was to measure the effects of escalating fentanyl dosing on respiratory depression as measured by minute ventilation (VE), which is the volume of gas inhaled or exhaled from a person's lungs per minute,
The maximum decrease in VE, induced by the highest dose of fentanyl, was nearly 60 percent less with a steady-state plasma buprenorphine concentration of 2.0 ng/mL compared with placebo, the global pharmaceutical company which specialises in developing medicines to treat substance use disorders said in a statement.
The risk of experiencing apnea requiring verbal stimulation after fentanyl dosing was significantly lower with buprenorphine than with placebo.
The majority of opioid-related overdose deaths in the US are the result of synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and illicit fentanyl analogs, which are more potent than heroin and that can unexpectedly cause respiratory depression, Indivior said.
"The [US] nation's drug overdose epidemic is now largely driven by illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, often in combination or in adulterated forms, posing an even greater risk of overdose to people struggling with addiction," said Indivior chief executive officer Mark Crossley.
"In the 12-month period ending in June 2021, 75% of the estimated 101,000 drug overdose deaths were driven by opioids - an average of more than 200 deaths per day, double the number of fatalities resulting from motor vehicle traffic crashes."
"The results of this proof-of-principle study increase our understanding of the role high sustained buprenorphine plasma concentrations may have in reducing fentanyl-induced respiratory depression," said Christian Heidbreder, chief scientific officer at Indivior.
"Future research is warranted to assess the competitive interaction of buprenorphine and fentanyl (as well as other illicitly manufactured fentanyl analogs) as we continue to deepen our understanding of buprenorphine as an evidence-based treatment for patients struggling with opioid use disorder."
The study, entitled 'Effect of sustained high buprenorphine plasma concentrations on fentanyl-induced respiratory depression: a placebo-controlled crossover study in healthy volunteers and opioid-tolerant patients' was published online on January 27, 2022 and will appear in an upcoming print issue of PLOS ONE.