Buprenorphine drug class

Members of the group of natural, semisynthetic, or synthetic alkaloid compounds prepared from opium are referred to as opioids. This group includes natural compounds usually denoted opiates, such as morphine and codeine, and the synthetic and semi synthetic compounds such as oxycodone, buprenorphine, fentanyl, methadone, and tramadol. The pharmacological effects and pharmacokinetic parameters of these drugs share many common characteristics and are illustrated with the prototypic drug in this class, morphine. 

Several other classes of medications have been tried in this disorder. Examples are amantadine, a dopaminergic drug that has been reported to aid in detoxification, fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake antagonist that has been reported to reduce cocaine use, and buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist that has been found to reduce cocaine self-administration in monkeys. Thus far, all of the studies of medications to help prevent relapse to cocaine dependence have revealed modest benefits at best. Reports of success in uncontrolled trials have not been replicated in carefully controlled, double-blind studies. At present, there is general agreement that no medication is yet available that can be used reliably in the treatment of cocaine addiction. 

Class C includes certain drugs related to the amphetamines, such as benzphetamine and chlorphentermine, buprenorphine, diethylpro-pion, mazindol, meprobamate, pemoline, pipradrol and most benzodiazepines. Cannabis and cannabis resin have been rescheduled as class C, but were class B until 2003. 

Among opioids, morphinans (Fig. 1) play an important role as therapeutically valuable drugs. Representative examples of the morphinan class of compounds (Fig. 2) are p-opioid analgesic agents for the treatment of moderate-to-severe pain such as naturally occurring alkaloids (e.g. morphine, codeine), semisynthetic derivatives (e.g. oxycodone, oxymorphone, buprenorphine), and synthetic analogs (e.g. levorphanol, butorphanol) [19-21], Codeine is also an effective antitussive drug. The oxymorphone derivatives naloxone [22] and naltrexone [23] represent... 

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