Extended-Release vs Sublingual Buprenorphine in Pregnancy Through 12 Months Post Partum

Does weekly subcutaneous extended-release buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) in pregnancy produce noninferior illicit opioid abstinence rates and superior neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) outcomes vs sublingual buprenorphine?In this randomized clinical trial with 140 pregnant adults, illicit-opioid abstinence in the extended-release group was statistically superior to that in the sublingual group. NOWS outcomes and maternal adverse events (AEs) did not differ between treatments, although the latter were more commonly rated as medication-related in the extended-release group during pregnancy; however, maternal serious AEs were less common in the extended-release group throughout the trial.These findings support using weekly extended-release buprenorphine for OUD during pregnancy.

Corresponding Author: T. John Winhusen, PhD, University of Cincinnati, 3131 Harvey Ave, Ste 104, Cincinnati, OH 45229 (winhusen@carc.uc.edu).

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