What are the different brands of buprenorphine?
What are the different brands of buprenorphine? What are the different dosage forms? What are they used for?
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist used to treat opioid use disorder and severe pain. It is available in a number of dosage forms under the brand names Belbuca, Brixadi, Buprenex, Butrans, Probuphine (discontinued), Sublocade, and Subutex (discontinued).
Buprenorphine was first approved for medical use in the United States in 1981. It belongs to the class of drugs called narcotic analgesics and is listed under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) due to its potential for abuse.
Buprenorphine Formulations Available in the United States
| Brand | Dosage Form | Administration | Use | Company | Approved | Generic Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brixadi | extended release injection (subcutaneous) |
every week or every month |
opioid use disorder | Braeburn Inc. | 2023 | No |
| Sublocade | extended release injection (subcutaneous) | every month | opioid use disorder | Indivior Inc. | 2017 | No |
|
Probuphine |
implant (subdermal) | every six months | opioid dependence | Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 2016 | No |
| Belbuca | buccal film | once daily or every 12 hours | severe pain | BioDelivery Sciences International Inc. | 2015 | No |
| Butrans | transdermal system | every seven days | severe pain | Purdue Pharma LP | 2010 | Yes |
|
Subutex (discontinued) |
sublingual tablets | once daily | opioid dependence | Indivior Inc. | 2002 | Yes |
| Buprenex | injection (intravenous or intramuscular) | every 6 hours | severe pain | Indivior Inc. | 1981 | Yes |
For detailed information on buprenorphine dosage and administration, see Buprenorphine Dosage.
Related questions
Read next
Why was Subutex discontinued?
Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc., the manufacturer of Subutex, chose to discontinue the drug in the United States in 2011 after developing new formulations that were less likely to be abused. Subutex is still available in other parts of the world, and generic forms of sublingual buprenorphine are available in the United States. Continue reading
What happens if you swallow Subutex?
While swallowing Subutex (buprenorphine) is unlikely to be harmful, it will reduce how much medicine your body takes in and make the medicine much less effective. Continue reading
How long do you keep Subutex under your tongue?
Subutex should be kept under the tongue until it has completely dissolved (which takes 4 to 8 minutes on average). Do not swallow, chew, or move the film after it is placed under the tongue, as doing any of these makes the medicine less effective. Before taking Subutex, do NOT smoke, eat or drink for 15 minutes before putting it under your tongue, and do not smoke, eat or drink for 15 minutes after putting it under your tongue. Continue reading
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