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Riblet NB, Young-Xu Y, Shiner B, Schnurr PP, Watts BV. The efficacy and safety of buprenorphine for the treatment of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 161:393-401. [PMID: 37019069 PMCID: PMC10149594 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depressive disorders are common. Many patients with major depression do not achieve remission with available treatments. Buprenorphine has been raised as a potential treatment for depression as well as suicidal behavior but may pose certain risks. METHODS A meta-analysis comparing the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of buprenorphine (or combinations such as buprenorphine/samidorphan) versus control in improving symptoms in patients with depression. Medline, Cochrane Database, PsycINFO, Excerpta Medica Database and The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched from inception through January 2, 2022. Depressive symptoms were pooled using Hedge's g with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI). Tolerability, safety, suicide outcomes were summarized qualitatively. RESULTS 11 studies (N = 1699) met inclusion criteria. Buprenorphine had a small effect on depressive symptoms (Hedges' g 0.17, 95%CI: 0.05-0.29). Results were driven by six trials of buprenorphine/samidorphan (N = 1,343, Hedges's g 0.17, 95%CI: 0.04-0.29). One study reported significant improvement in suicidal thoughts (Least Squares Mean Change: -7.1, 95%CI: -12.0 - 2.3). Most studies found buprenorphine was well-tolerated with no evidence of abuse behavior or dependency. CONCLUSIONS Buprenorphine may have a small benefit for depressive symptoms. Future research should clarify the dose response relationship between buprenorphine and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie B Riblet
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mental Health Service, 215 North Main Street, White River Junction, VT, 05009, USA; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Department of Psychiatry and Dartmouth Institute, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
| | - Yinong Young-Xu
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mental Health Service, 215 North Main Street, White River Junction, VT, 05009, USA; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Department of Psychiatry, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Brian Shiner
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mental Health Service, 215 North Main Street, White River Junction, VT, 05009, USA; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Department of Psychiatry and Dartmouth Institute, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA; National Center for PTSD, 215 North Main Street, White River Junction, VT, 05009, USA
| | - Paula P Schnurr
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Department of Psychiatry, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA; National Center for PTSD, 215 North Main Street, White River Junction, VT, 05009, USA
| | - Bradley V Watts
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mental Health Service, 215 North Main Street, White River Junction, VT, 05009, USA; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Department of Psychiatry, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA; Veterans Rural Health Resource Center, White River Junction VA Medical Center, White River Junction, VT, 05009, USA
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The Opioid System in Depression. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104800. [PMID: 35914624 PMCID: PMC10166717 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Opioid receptors are widely distributed throughout the brain and play an essential role in modulating aspects of human mood, reward, and well-being. Accumulating evidence indicates the endogenous opioid system is dysregulated in depression and that pharmacological modulators of mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptors hold potential for the treatment of depression. Here we review animal and clinical data, highlighting evidence to support: dysregulation of the opioid system in depression, evidence for opioidergic modulation of behavioural processes and brain regions associated with depression, and evidence for opioidergic modulation in antidepressant responses. We evaluate clinical trials that have examined the safety and efficacy of opioidergic agents in depression and consider how the opioid system may be involved in the effects of other treatments, including ketamine, that are currently understood to exert antidepressant effects through non-opioidergic actions. Finally, we explore key neurochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying the potential therapeutic effects of opioid system engagement, that together provides a rationale for further investigation into this relevant target in the treatment of depression.
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Dinoff A, Lynch ST, Sekhri N, Klepacz L. A meta-analysis of the potential antidepressant effects of buprenorphine versus placebo as an adjunctive pharmacotherapy for treatment-resistant depression. J Affect Disord 2020; 271:91-99. [PMID: 32479336 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.03.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 01/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous reports have suggested that buprenorphine may have antidepressant effects. Many individuals with depressive disorders don't respond to first-line treatment and are classified with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Novel therapies for depression are required to better treat this population. This meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials sought to evaluate the potential antidepressant effects of buprenorphine as an adjunctive pharmacological treatment for individuals with TRD. METHODS PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched until June 2019 for original peer-reviewed reports of buprenorphine used for the treatment of depression. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were generated from random effects models. Risk of publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot. Potential sources of heterogeneity were explored in subgroup analyses. RESULTS In six studies that met inclusion criteria, depression symptom severity in individuals with TRD was not significantly decreased after an adjunctive intervention with buprenorphine when compared to placebo (SMD = -0.07, 95% CI: -0.21-0.06, p = 0.30). Five of the six studies utilized a combination of buprenorphine/samidorphan. In these studies, depression symptom severity was also not significantly reduced after intervention compared to placebo (SMD = -0.08, 95% CI: -0.21 - 0.05, p = 0.23). LIMITATIONS Five included studies were performed by the same research group with significant conflicts of interest. CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis did not reveal a significant reduction in depression symptom severity in individuals with TRD after an adjunctive intervention with buprenorphine when compared to placebo. However, more optimal doses of buprenorphine (2 mg/day) and longer treatment lengths should be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Dinoff
- New York Medical College School of Medicine, 40 Sunshine Cottage Rd, Valhalla, NY, 10595 USA.
| | - Sean T Lynch
- New York Medical College School of Medicine, 40 Sunshine Cottage Rd, Valhalla, NY, 10595 USA
| | - Nitin Sekhri
- New York Medical College School of Medicine, 40 Sunshine Cottage Rd, Valhalla, NY, 10595 USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
| | - Lidia Klepacz
- New York Medical College School of Medicine, 40 Sunshine Cottage Rd, Valhalla, NY, 10595 USA; Department of Psychiatry, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY, 10595, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are leading causes of disability and loss of life by suicide. Currently, there are less than satisfactory medical solutions to treat these mental disorders. Here, we explore recent preclinical and clinical studies demonstrating the potential of using buprenorphine to treat major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, and PTSD. METHOD Bibliographic databases were searched to include preclinical and clinical studies demonstrating the therapeutic potential of buprenorphine and the involvement of the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) in mediating these effects. RESULTS Original clinical studies examining the effectiveness of buprenorphine to treat depression were mixed. The majority of participants in the PTSD studies were males and suffer from chronic pain and/or substance use disorders. Nonetheless, these recent studies and analyses established proof of concept warranting farther investigations. Additionally, KOR likely mediates the antidepressant and some of the anxiolytic effects of buprenorphine. Still, it appears that the full spectrum of buprenorphine's beneficial effects might be due to activity at other opioid receptors as well. CONCLUSIONS Pharmaceuticals' abilities to treat medical conditions directly relates to their ability to act upon the endogenous biological systems related to the conditions. Thus, these recent findings are likely a reflection of the central role that the endogenous opioid system has in these mental illnesses. Further studies are necessary to study the involvement of endogenous opioid systems, and specifically KOR, in mediating buprenorphine's beneficial effects and the ability to treat these medical conditions while minimizing risks for misuse and diversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A Madison
- Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, 4235 TAMU, College Station, TX77843, USA
| | - Shoshana Eitan
- Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, 4235 TAMU, College Station, TX77843, USA
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Burke NN, Li Y, Deaver DR, Finn DP, Roche M, Eyerman DJ, Sanchez C, Kelly JP. Chronic administration of buprenorphine in combination with samidorphan produces sustained effects in olfactory bulbectomised rats and Wistar-Kyoto rats. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:1620-1627. [PMID: 31512988 DOI: 10.1177/0269881119872203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The combination of buprenorphine, a partial mu-opioid receptor agonist and a functional kappa-opioid receptor antagonist, with samidorphan, a functional mu-opioid receptor antagonist, is being developed as an adjunct therapy for major depressive disorder, in order to harness the mood-enhancing effects of opioids without unwanted side-effects such as a risk of addiction. Acute and subacute administration of the combination of buprenorphine and samidorphan is effective in reducing forced swim immobility in the Wistar-Kyoto rat, but the chronic effects have not been examined. AIMS AND METHODS The purpose of this study was to assess if chronic (14-day) administration of buprenorphine (0.1 mg/kg, subcutaneous) alone or in combination with samidorphan (0.3 mg/kg, subcutaneous) maintains antidepressant-like activity in the olfactory bulbectomised rat model and the Wistar-Kyoto rat, two models that exhibit ongoing behavioural deficits in tests commonly used to study effects of antidepressants. RESULTS Olfactory bulbectomised-induced hyperactivity was attenuated by chronic administration of buprenorphine alone and in combination with samidorphan, to that of sham control activity levels. Neither buprenorphine nor samidorphan altered stress-associated defecation in sham or olfactory bulbectomised rats in the open field. In Wistar-Kyoto rats, buprenorphine alone significantly reduced forced swim immobility and increased locomotor activity three hours post-final dosing. Buprenorphine plus samidorphan significantly reduced forced swim immobility without changing locomotor activity at this time point. Buprenorphine alone also significantly reduced forced swim immobility 24 h post-final dosing. CONCLUSION Chronic treatment of buprenorphine alone or buprenorphine plus samidorphan is effective in reversing behavioural deficits in distinct non-clinical paradigms. These non-clinical results complement the antidepressant effect of this combination observed in clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita N Burke
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Yan Li
- Alkermes Inc., Waltham, MA, USA
| | | | - David P Finn
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Michelle Roche
- Physiology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | | | | | - John P Kelly
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
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Thase ME, Stanford AD, Memisoglu A, Martin W, Claxton A, Bodkin JA, Trivedi MH, Fava M, Yu M, Pathak S. Results from a long-term open-label extension study of adjunctive buprenorphine/samidorphan combination in patients with major depressive disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:2268-2276. [PMID: 31254971 PMCID: PMC6897901 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0451-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Buprenorphine/samidorphan (BUP/SAM; ALKS 5461) is an investigational opioid system modulator for the adjunctive treatment of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), who did not respond adequately to prior antidepressant therapy (ADT). FORWARD-2, an open-label extension study, assessed long-term safety and tolerability of adjunctive BUP/SAM treatment in these patients. Patients from four short-term trials and de novo patients were enrolled; all had confirmed MDD and a current major depressive episode lasting 2-24 months. Patients were treated with an established ADT for ≥8 weeks before receiving sublingual, adjunctive BUP/SAM 2 mg/2 mg for up to 52 weeks. Safety (primary objective) was assessed via adverse events (AEs), the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, and the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS). Exploratory evaluation of efficacy was done using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Of 1485 patients, 50% completed the study and 11% discontinued due to AEs. AEs of nausea, headache, constipation, dizziness, and somnolence, each occurred in ≥10% of patients. There was no evidence of increased suicidal ideation or behavior. Euphoria-related AEs were uncommon (1.2%). Following abrupt BUP/SAM discontinuation, "drug withdrawal" AEs were infrequent (0.4%), and the incidence of COWS categorical worsening after abrupt drug discontinuation was low (6.5%). Improvements in mean MADRS scores were maintained until study end, suggesting durability of antidepressant effect in patients continuing treatment. BUP/SAM was generally well tolerated, with a low risk of abuse and an AE profile consistent with those seen in placebo-controlled studies. Withdrawal reports were uncommon and of limited clinical impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. Thase
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3535 Market Street, Suite 670, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309 USA
| | | | | | | | - Amy Claxton
- grid.422303.4Alkermes, Inc., Waltham, MA USA
| | - J. Alexander Bodkin
- 0000 0000 8795 072Xgrid.240206.2McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA USA ,000000041936754Xgrid.38142.3cHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Madhukar H. Trivedi
- 0000 0000 9482 7121grid.267313.2University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX USA
| | - Maurizio Fava
- 000000041936754Xgrid.38142.3cHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,0000 0004 0386 9924grid.32224.35Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA USA
| | - Miao Yu
- grid.422303.4Alkermes, Inc., Waltham, MA USA
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Chaudhary AMD, Khan MF, Dhillon SS, Naveed S. A Review of Samidorphan: A Novel Opioid Antagonist. Cureus 2019; 11:e5139. [PMID: 31523568 PMCID: PMC6741386 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.5139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid modulators have been explored as a treatment option for psychiatric disorders, but their use has been limited due to their abuse potential. Samidorphan (SAM), a μ-opioid receptor antagonist, has gained interest due to its favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile. In this review article, six electronic databases including PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL were searched to find relevant human studies with a focus on different clinical aspects of SAM. SAM was used in combination with buprenorphine (BUP) to counteract the abuse potential while still maintaining effectiveness in the treatment of depression. The BUP/SAM 2 mg/2mg combination improved depression in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). SAM's ability to mitigate the weight gain associated with olanzapine (OLZ) has also been explored. Initial studies have shown promising results in some parameters of alcohol-use disorder, while no significant benefit in the treatment of binge-eating disorder has been reported. Somnolence and gastrointestinal side effects were the most commonly observed side effects of SAM.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manal F Khan
- Psychiatry, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | | | - Sadiq Naveed
- Psychiatry, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, USA
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