title: OROS® hydromorphone in chronic pain management: when drug delivery technology matches clinical needs.
abstract: The osmotic-controlled release oral delivery system (OROS®) is an innovative drug delivery technology that uses osmotic pressure as the driving force to deliver pharmacotherapies in many therapeutic areas. In chronic pain management requiring long-term therapy, pharmaceutical technologies that ensure the controlled release of analgesic medications are imperative. In addition, once-daily formulations ensure better patient compliance to prescribed therapies. Hydromorphone was the first opioid to be formulated as a once-daily preparation using OROS® technology. The purpose of this review is to discuss the application of OROS® technology in the field of chronic pain management and to examine clinical trial results for OROS® Hydromorphone. OROS® hydromorphone ensures the constant delivery of hydromorphone over a 24-hour period, and its pharmacokinetic profile is only minimally affected by food and alcohol. Dose-conversion studies have shown that patients with chronic pain can be easily switched from previous opioid therapies to OROS® hydromorphone without a loss of pain control. These studies support the clinical utility of the 5:1 ratio used for the conversion of oral morphine to oral OROS® hydromorphone. Furthermore, once-daily OROS® hydromorphone has been shown to be effective in patients with chronic cancer and non-cancer pain, and it provides similar pain relief to SR morphine and ER oxycodone. In chronic pain management, OROS® products can result in more stable drug concentrations, reduced dosing frequency and an improved safety profile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Polo Pontino, I.C.O.T, Latina, Italy. flaminia.coluzzi@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Coluzzi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mattia
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D004091:Hydromorphone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004091:Hydromorphone