Buprenorphine vs methadone maintenance treatment for opioid dependence

The efficacy of buprenorphine in opioid dependent patients (n = 20) was com pared to methadone maintained subjects (n = 20) in a randomized comparison trial. Sublingual application of buprenorphine as an alternative synthetica l opioid is being compared to methadone during a 24 week study period. A tr end (p = 0.06) could be found in the retention rate of investigated patient s being maintained on a mean dosage of 63 mg oral applicable methadone (rac emat of L- and D-methadone) in comparison to the group on a mean dosage of 7,3 mg buprenorphine (sublingual tablets). The dropout-rate of 11 subjects at the end of the study in the buprenorphine group was higher when compared to the dropout-rate of 5 in the methadone group. There was no significant difference between the two groups over the treatment period in respect to a dditional consumption of opiates, benzodiazepines and cocaine as evaluated through urine toxicology. The result in regard to compliance over the study period demonstrates that methadone appears to be the more successful oral opioid (p = 0.04). Nevertheless, efficacy of buprenorphine in maintenance c ould be demonstrated in the remaining subjects,and further studies with hig her daily doses and a higher number of subjects have to be performed.