HIV clinic-based buprenorphine plus naloxone versus referral for methadone maintenance therapy for treatment of opioid use disorder in HIV clinics in Vietnam (BRAVO): an open-label, randomised, non-inferiority trial

Meta-analysis of primary care delivered buprenorphine treatment retention outcomes

Background: Currently, the capacity to provide buprenorphine treatment (BT) is not sufficient to treat the growing number of people in the United States with opioid use disorder (OUD). We sought to examine participant retention in care rates of primary care delivered BT programs and to describe factors associated with retention/attrition for participants receiving BT in this setting.Objectives: A PRISMA-guided search of various databases was performed to identify the articles focusing on efficacy of BT treatment and OUD.Method: A systematic literature search identified 15 studies examining retention in care in the primary care setting between 2002 and 2020. Random effects meta-regression were used to identify retention rates across studies.Results: Retention rates decreased across time with a mean 0.52 rate at one year. Several factors were found to be related to retention, including: race, use of other drugs, receipt of counseling, and previous treatment with buprenorphine.Conclusions: While we only investigate BT through primary care, our findings indicate retention rates are equivalent to the rates reported in the specialty care literature. More work is needed to examine factors that may impact primary care delivered BT specifically and differentiate participants that may benefit from care delivered in specialty over primary care as well as the converse.

Rationale, evidence, and steps for implementation of medication for opioid use disorder treatment programs in HIV primary care settings

As the opioid crisis continues to escalate, the management of patients with opioid use disorder has crossed over to the care of patients with chronic infectious diseases, specifically HIV, HBV, and HCV, typically managed in the primary care setting. Consensus guidelines recommend testing for HIV and hepatitis in persons who inject drugs at least annually, but high-risk sexual activity may put other patients at risk as well. Significant barriers to robust care of these patient populations include low rates of HIV and hepatitis testing, limited access to methadone treatment programs, lack of widespread knowledge of how to prescribe office-based opioid treatment, and ongoing stigma surrounding prescribing of HIV treatment and prophylaxis medications. Clinical pharmacists across ambulatory, infectious diseases, and opioid stewardship specialties have the opportunity to play a key role in the implementation and support of harm reduction and medication for opioid use disorder services in the outpatient setting. The goal of this article is to discuss the rationale and evidence for these services and provide a framework for implementation.

Buprenorphine versus methadone for the treatment of opioid dependence: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised and observational studies

BACKGROUND

Opioid dependence is associated with substantial health and social burdens, and opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is highly effective in improving multiple outcomes for people who receive this treatment. Methadone and buprenorphine are common medications provided as OAT. We aimed to examine buprenorphine compared with methadone in the treatment of opioid dependence across a wide range of primary and secondary outcomes.

METHODS

We did a systematic review and meta-analysis in accordance with GATHER and PRISMA guidelines. We searched Embase, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and PsycINFO from database inception to Aug 1, 2022; clinical trial registries and previous relevant Cochrane reviews were also reviewed. We included all RCTs and observational studies of adults (aged ≥18 years) with opioid dependence comparing treatment with buprenorphine or methadone. Primary outcomes were retention in treatment at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, treatment adherence (measured through doses taken as prescribed, dosing visits attended, and biological measures), or extra-medical opioid use (measured by urinalysis and self-report). Secondary outcomes were use of benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, and alcohol; withdrawal; craving; criminal activity and engagement with the criminal justice system; overdose; mental and physical health; sleep; pain; global functioning; suicidality and self-harm; and adverse events. Single-arm cohort studies and RCTs that collected data on buprenorphine retention alone were also reviewed. Data on study, participant, and treatment characteristics were extracted. Study authors were contacted to obtain additional data when required. Comparative estimates were pooled with use of random-effects meta-analyses. The proportion of individuals retained in treatment across multiple timepoints was pooled for each drug. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020205109).

FINDINGS

We identified 32 eligible RCTs (N=5808 participants) and 69 observational studies (N=323 340) comparing buprenorphine and methadone, in addition to 51 RCTs (N=11 644) and 124 observational studies (N=700 035) that reported on treatment retention with buprenorphine. Overall, 61 studies were done in western Europe, 162 in North America, 14 in north Africa and the Middle East, 20 in Australasia, five in southeast Asia, seven in south Asia, two in eastern Europe, three in central Europe, one in east Asia, and one in central Asia. 1 040 827 participants were included in these primary studies; however, gender was only reported for 572 111 participants, of whom 377 991 (66·1%) were male and 194 120 (33·9%) were female. Mean age was 37·1 years (SD 6·0). At timepoints beyond 1 month, retention was better for methadone than for buprenorphine: for example, at 6 months, the pooled effect favoured methadone in RCTs (risk ratio 0·76 [95% CI 0·67-0·85]; I·=74·2%; 16 studies, N=3151) and in observational studies (0·77 [0·68-0·86]; I·=98·5%; 21 studies, N=155 111). Retention was generally higher in RCTs than observational studies. There was no evidence suggesting that adherence to treatment differed with buprenorphine compared with methadone. There was some evidence that extra-medical opioid use was lower in those receiving buprenorphine in RCTs that measured this outcome by urinalysis and reported proportion of positive urine samples (over various time frames; standardised mean difference -0·20 [-0·29 to -0·11]; I·=0·0%; three studies, N=841), but no differences were found when using other measures. Some statistically significant differences were found between buprenorphine and methadone among secondary outcomes. There was evidence of reduced cocaine use, cravings, anxiety, and cardiac dysfunction, as well as increased treatment satisfaction among people receiving buprenorphine compared with methadone; and evidence of reduced hospitalisation and alcohol use in people receiving methadone. These differences in secondary outcomes were based on small numbers of studies (maximum five), and were often not consistent across study types or different measures of the same constructs (eg, cocaine use).

INTERPRETATION

Evidence from trials and observational studies suggest that treatment retention is better for methadone than for sublingual buprenorphine. Comparative evidence on other outcomes examined showed few statistically significant differences and was generally based on small numbers of studies. These findings highlight the imperative for interventions to improve retention, consideration of client-centred factors (such as client preference) when selecting between methadone and buprenorphine, and harmonisation of data collection and reporting to strengthen future syntheses.

FUNDING

Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.

Patient-provider relationships: Opioid use disorder and HIV treatment in Vietnam

Background

The provider-patient relationship has been implicated as a positive force in health outcomes. This study examined the provider-patient relationship in the setting of integrated, partially-integrated, and non-integrated opioid use disorder (OUD) and HIV care models in Vietnam.

Objective

To examine the provider-patient relationship in the setting of integrated, partially integrated, and non-integrated OUD and HIV treatment in North Vietnam.

Methods

Between 2013 and 2018, we conducted face-to-face qualitative interviews with 44 patients living with HIV and OUD and 43 providers in northern Vietnam. These were analyzed using a semantic, inductive approach to qualitative thematic analysis.

Results

Several themes were identified. 1) Trust was important to the patient-provider relationship and sensitive to provider attitudes and competence. 2) Patients perceived greater provider competence and understanding of patient health problems in integrated treatment. 3) Patient-provider relationships were initially superficial but deepened over time, facilitated by continuity of care.

Conclusions

Patient perceptions of competence and respect were important to feeling cared for. Providers felt empathy and competence came with more experience caring for patients with OUD and HIV.

A prospective 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography study of the neurometabolic effects in cocaine use and HIV infection

OBJECTIVES

HIV affects 36 million people globally with prevalence decreasing due to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and social awareness; transmission occurs during substance use. Cocaine usage independently affects brain activity and may result in reduced ART adherence. This study evaluates brain glucose metabolism measured by 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( 18 F-FDG PET/CT) in cocaine users with HIV infection.

DESIGN

Sixty-three participants were categorized into groups: 36 HIV infected (HIV+) and 27 non-HIV infected (HIV-) individuals. Each group was further split into cocaine users (CO+) and non-cocaine users (CO-). Of the HIV+, half were cocaine users and half were not. Of the HIV-, 14 were cocaine users and 13 were not. 18 F-FDG-PET and low dose CT scans were performed on all participants.

METHODS

Brain glucose metabolism was evaluated by 18 F-FDG uptake in the whole brain, cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum 120 min after injection. ROVER software was used for image analysis and regions of interest masks were applied via an adaptive threshold system. ANOVA tests and t -tests were performed to assess the respective differences between the four groups.

RESULTS

Generally, the HIV+/CO+ group (group A) displayed the lowest levels of uptake whereas the HIV-/CO- group (group D) showed the highest; the HIV+/CO- and HIV-/CO+ groups (groups B and C) showed intermediate levels of activity across the whole brain, cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum.

CONCLUSION

HIV infection and cocaine usage were independently associated with a decrease in brain glucose uptake as measured by 18 F-FDG PET/CT. When combined, positive HIV status and cocaine patients showed the most decreased 18 F-FDG uptake.

Endogenous opiates and behavior: 2021

This paper is the forty-fourth consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2021 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonizts and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).

Findings from a pilot study of buprenorphine population pharmacokinetics: A potential effect of HIV on buprenorphine bioavailability

BACKGROUND

Buprenorphine is widely used in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). There are few pharmacokinetic models of buprenorphine across diverse populations. Population pharmacokinetics (POPPK) allows for covariates to be included in pharmacokinetic studies, thereby opening the potential to evaluate the effect of comorbidities, medications, and other factors on buprenorphine pharmacokinetics. This pilot study used POPPK to explore buprenorphine pharmacokinetics in patients with and without HIV receiving buprenorphine for OUD.

METHODS

Plasma buprenorphine levels were measured in 54 patients receiving buprenorphine for OUD just prior to and 2-5 h following regular buprenorphine dosing. A linear one-compartment POPPK model with first-order estimation was used to evaluate buprenorphine clearance (CL/F) and volume of distribution (V/F). Covariates included weight and HIV status.

RESULTS

All HIV+ patients reported complete past-month adherence to taking antiretroviral therapy that included either efavirenz or nevirapine. Buprenorphine CL/F was 76% higher in HIV+ patients (n = 17) than HIV- patients (n = 37). Buprenorphine V/F was 41% higher in the HIV+ patients.

CONCLUSIONS

POPPK can be used to model buprenorphine pharmacokinetics in a real-world clinical population. While interactions between ART and buprenorphine alter buprenorphine CL/F, we also found alteration in V/F. Proportionate changes in CL/F and V/F might indicate a primary effect on bioavailability (F) rather than two separate effects. These findings indicate reduced buprenorphine bioavailability in patients with HIV.

Integrating HIV and substance misuse services: a person-centred approach grounded in human rights

Integrating HIV-related care with treatment for substance use disorder provides an opportunity to better meet the needs of people living with these conditions. People with substance use disorder are rendered especially vulnerable by prevailing policies, structural inequalities, and stigmatisation. In this Series paper we analyse existing literature and empirical evidence from scoping reviews on integration designs for the treatment of HIV and substance use disorder, to understand barriers to and facilitators of care integration and to map ways forward. We discuss how approaches to integration address two core gaps in current models: a failure to consider human rights when incorporating the perspectives of people living with HIV and people who use drugs, and a failure to reflect critically on structural factors that determine risk, vulnerability, health-care seeking, and health equity. We argue that successful integration requires a person-centred approach, which is grounded in human rights, treats both concerns holistically, and reconnects with underlying social, economic, and political inequalities.

Stigma as a barrier to integrated substance use and HIV care in Vietnam: A qualitative examination of patient and provider perspectives

Integration of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and HIV care can increase antiretroviral therapy coverage among people with opioid use disorder (OUD). However, implementation of integrated treatment models remains limited. Stigma towards people with OUD poses a barrier to initiation of, and adherence to, HIV treatment. We sought to understand the extent of stigma towards SUD and HIV among people with OUD in Vietnam, and the effect of stigma on integrated OUD and HIV treatment services utilization. Between 2013 and 2015, we conducted in-depth interviews with 43 patients and 43 providers at 7 methadone clinics and 8 HIV clinics across 4 provinces in Vietnam. We used thematic analysis with a mixed deductive and inductive approach at the semantic level to analyze key topics. Two main themes were identified: (1) Confidentiality concerns about HIV status make patients reluctant to receive integrated care at HIV clinics, given the requirements for daily buprenorphine dosing at HIV clinics. (2) Provider stigma existed mostly toward people with OUD and seemed to center on the belief that substance use causes a deterioration in one's morals, and was most frequently manifested in the form of providers' apprehensive approach towards patients. Concerns regarding stigmatization may cause patients to feel reluctant to receive treatment for both OUD and HIV at a single integrated clinic. Interventions to reduce stigma at the clinic and policy levels may thus serve to improve initiation of and adherence to integrated care.

Proposing a "Brain Health Checkup (BHC)" as a Global Potential "Standard of Care" to Overcome Reward Dysregulation in Primary Care Medicine: Coupling Genetic Risk Testing and Induction of "Dopamine Homeostasis"

In 2021, over 100,000 people died prematurely from opioid overdoses. Neuropsychiatric and cognitive impairments are underreported comorbidities of reward dysregulation due to genetic antecedents and epigenetic insults. Recent genome-wide association studies involving millions of subjects revealed frequent comorbidity with substance use disorder (SUD) in a sizeable meta-analysis of depression. It found significant associations with the expression of NEGR1 in the hypothalamus and DRD2 in the nucleus accumbens, among others. However, despite the rise in SUD and neuropsychiatric illness, there are currently no standard objective brain assessments being performed on a routine basis. The rationale for encouraging a standard objective Brain Health Check (BHC) is to have extensive data available to treat clinical syndromes in psychiatric patients. The BHC would consist of a group of reliable, accurate, cost-effective, objective assessments involving the following domains: Memory, Attention, Neuropsychiatry, and Neurological Imaging. Utilizing primarily PUBMED, over 36 years of virtually all the computerized and written-based assessments of Memory, Attention, Psychiatric, and Neurological imaging were reviewed, and the following assessments are recommended for use in the BHC: Central Nervous System Vital Signs (Memory), Test of Variables of Attention (Attention), Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (Neuropsychiatric), and Quantitative Electroencephalogram/P300/Evoked Potential (Neurological Imaging). Finally, we suggest continuing research into incorporating a new standard BHC coupled with qEEG/P300/Evoked Potentials and genetically guided precision induction of "dopamine homeostasis" to diagnose and treat reward dysregulation to prevent the consequences of dopamine dysregulation from being epigenetically passed on to generations of our children.

Relative effectiveness of medications for opioid-related disorders: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

INTRODUCTION

Several pharmacotherapeutic interventions are available for maintenance treatment for opioid-related disorders. However, previous meta-analyses have been limited to pairwise comparisons of these interventions, and their efficacy relative to all others remains unclear. Our objective was to unify findings from different healthcare practices and generate evidence to strengthen clinical treatment protocols for the most widely prescribed medications for opioid-use disorders.

METHODS

We searched Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov for all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCT) from database inception to February 12, 2022. Primary outcome was treatment retention, and secondary outcome was opioid use measured by urinalysis. We calculated risk ratios (RR) and 95% credible interval (CrI) using Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) for available evidence. We assessed the credibility of the NMA using the Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis tool.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Due to heterogeneity in measuring opioid use and reporting format between studies, we conducted NMA only for treatment retention. Methadone was the highest ranked intervention (Surface Under the Cumulative Ranking [SUCRA] = 0.901) in the network with control being the lowest (SUCRA = 0.000). Methadone was superior to buprenorphine for treatment retention (RR = 1.22; 95% CrI = 1.06-1.40) and buprenorphine superior to naltrexone (RR = 1.39; 95% CrI = 1.10-1.80). However, due to a limited number of high-quality trials, confidence in the network estimates of other treatment pairs involving naltrexone and slow-release oral morphine (SROM) remains low.

CONCLUSION

All treatments had higher retention than the non-pharmacotherapeutic control group. However, additional high-quality RCTs are needed to estimate more accurately the extent of efficacy of naltrexone and SROM relative to other medications. For pharmacotherapies with established efficacy profiles, assessment of their long-term comparative effectiveness may be warranted.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This systematic review has been registered with PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero) (identifier CRD42021256212).

Incarceration and compulsory rehabilitation impede use of medication for opioid use disorder and HIV care engagement in Vietnam

BACKGROUND

Non-prescribed opioid use is illegal in Vietnam. People who are apprehended for use of non-prescribed opioids may be arrested and incarcerated or sent to compulsory rehabilitation centers. For those on medication to treat opioid use disorder (MOUD), incarceration in either setting may disrupt treatment. This study estimates the effects of incarceration and compulsory rehabilitation on MOUD and HIV treatment outcomes in Vietnam.

METHODS

Data are from a clinical trial testing the effects of MOUD on HIV viral suppression in six Vietnamese HIV clinics. Participants were assessed quarterly for 12 months. We assessed the associations between incarceration or compulsory rehabilitation during months 0-9 and study outcomes of receipt of MOUD, HIV clinic engagement, and antiretroviral therapy prescription during months 9-12, among those who were released by month 9 of the study, using logistic regression and zero-inflated negative binomial models.

RESULTS

At nine months, 25 of 258 participants (9.7%) were incarcerated or sent to compulsory rehabilitation at least once and completed the month 9 assessment. Of those, 19 (76.0%) did not receive MOUD in months 9 through 12. Both incarceration and compulsory rehabilitation were negatively associated with subsequent receipt of MOUD (aOR = 0.05, 95% CI = (0.01, 0.24); 0.14 (0.04, 0.50), respectively) and HIV clinic engagement (aOR = 0.13, 95% CI = (0.03, 0.71); 0.09 (0.02, 0.39), respectively). In the final three months of the study, participants who were incarcerated had 42.5 fewer days of MOUD (95% CI = 23.1, 61.9), and participants in compulsory rehabilitation had 46.1 fewer days of MOUD (95% CI = 33.8, 58.4) than those not incarcerated or in compulsory rehabilitation.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that both incarceration and compulsory rehabilitation disrupt MOUD and HIV treatment among people with HIV and Opioid Use Disorder in Vietnam. Prioritization of evidence-based strategies to support engagement in care for people who use drugs could potentially expand HIV and Opioid Use Disorder treatment access and curb substance use more effectively than reliance on incarceration or compulsory rehabilitation.

Participation in methadone programs improves antiretroviral uptake and HIV viral suppression among people who inject drugs in Kenya

BACKGROUND

HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Kenya is estimated to be 18% compared to 4.5% in the general population. Studies from high-income countries have demonstrated that methadone use is associated with increased uptake of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and higher rates of viral suppression among PWID with HIV. However, it is unclear whether methadone use has the same effect among African PWID living with HIV.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study to evaluate associations between methadone program participation and ART uptake and viral suppression (HIV RNA viral load <1000 copies/ml) among PWID with HIV in Kenya. Participants were recruited from needle and syringe programs and methadone clinics, interviewed on site, and samples were obtained and assayed for HIV viral loads. Univariate and multiple logistic regression were used to determine associations.

RESULTS

Among 679 participants, median age was 37 years, 48% were female, and 24% were in a methadone program. We observed higher proportions of ART use (96% vs. 87%, p = 0.001) and HIV viral suppression (78% vs. 65%, p = 0.012) among PWID on methadone compared to those not on methadone treatment. PWID who were not participating in a methadone program were 3-fold more likely to be off ART and approximately twice as likely to be viremic compared to those in methadone programs (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.35-8.35 and aOR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.03-3.52, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, Kenyan PWID living with HIV participating in a methadone treatment program were more likely to be on ART and to have achieved viral suppression. Scale-up of methadone programs may have a positive impact on HIV epidemic control for this key population.

Correlates of days of medication for opioid use disorder exposure among people living with HIV in Northern Vietnam

BACKGROUND

In Vietnam, access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) for people living with HIV has rapidly expanded, but MOUD use over time remains low. We sought to assess factors associated with days of MOUD treatment exposure.

METHODS

From 2015 to 2019, patients with OUD in six Northern Vietnamese HIV clinics were randomized to receive HIV clinic-based buprenorphine (BUP/NX) or referral for methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) and followed for 12 months. All MOUD doses were directly observed and abstracted from dosing logs. The primary outcome was days of MOUD treatment exposure (buprenorphine or methadone) received over 12 months. Negative binomial regression modelled associations with days of MOUD exposure.

RESULTS

Of 281 participants, 264 (94%) were eligible for analysis. Participants were primarily male (97%), unmarried (61%), employed (54%), and previously arrested (83%). Participants had a mean 187 (SD 150) days of MOUD exposure with 134 (51%) having at least 180 days, and 35 (13.2%) having at least 360 days of MOUD exposure. Age (IRR 1.26, 95% CI 1.02-1.55), income (IRR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93-1.001), and methadone (IRR 1.88, 95% CI 1.51-2.42) were associated with MOUD exposure in multivariate models. Multivariate models predicted 127 (95% CL 109-147) days of MOUD exposure for HIV clinic based-buprenorphine vs 243 (95% CL 205-288) for MMT.

CONCLUSION

MOUD treatment exposure was suboptimal among patients with HIV and OUD in Northern Vietnam and was influenced by several factors. Interventions to support populations at risk of lower MOUD exposure as well programs administering MOUD should be considered in countries seeking to expand access to MOUD.

Familial support in integrated treatment with antiretroviral therapy and medications for opioid use disorder in Vietnam: A qualitative study

Background: Patients report that familial support can facilitate initiation and maintenance of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). However, providing such support can create pressure and additional burdens for families of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) and HIV. We examined perspectives of people with HIV receiving treatment for OUD in Vietnam and their family members. Methods: Between 2015 and 2018, we conducted face-to-face qualitative interviews with 44 patients and 30 of their family members in Hanoi, Vietnam. Participants were people living with HIV and OUD enrolled in the BRAVO study comparing HIV clinic-based buprenorphine with referral to methadone treatment at 4 HIV clinics and their immediate family members (spouses or parents). Interviews were professionally transcribed, coded in Vietnamese, and analyzed using a semantic, inductive approach to qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Family members of people with OUD and HIV in Vietnam reported financially and emotionally supporting MOUD initiation and maintenance as well as actively participating in treatment. Family members described the burdens of supporting patients during opioid use, including financial costs and secondary stigma. Conclusions: Describing the role of family support in the lives of people living with OUD and HIV in the context of Vietnam enriches our understanding of their experiences and will support future treatment efforts targeting the family unit.