title: Therapies in early development for the treatment of opiate addiction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Opiate drugs are psychoactive substances used to manage severe pain. However, their chronic use is associated with the development of addiction. Opiate addiction represents a significant public health concern.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review focuses on the most recent advances in the pharmacological treatment of opiate addiction, from those being tested in clinical trials (Phase I and II), to preclinical studies that point to new targets. Readers will gain knowledge of the wide variety of treatments used to treat opiate addiction, including their strengths and weaknesses, and the promising pharmacological targets identified by preclinical research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among the currently available agonist therapies, new dosage forms of buprenorphine can increase patient acceptability and compliance. New extended-release forms of naltrexone are building hope of retaining opiate-dependent subjects in a drug-free state. Unfortunately, the review of the literature shows that successful preclinical studies are often followed by discouraging results in human clinical trials. Nevertheless, all targets of potential interest should be tested exhaustively. Indeed, a number of new targets and research lines (genetics and neuroinflammation approaches) may lead to breakthroughs in the future.
authors.affiliation: a Universidad de Valencia, Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiologia , Avda. Blasco Ibáñez 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain +34 9 63 86 40 20 ; +34 9 63 86 46 68 ; jose.minarro@uv.es.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Arias
authors.affiliation: a Universidad de Valencia, Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiologia , Avda. Blasco Ibáñez 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain +34 9 63 86 40 20 ; +34 9 63 86 46 68 ; jose.minarro@uv.es.
authors.forename: María A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.affiliation: a Universidad de Valencia, Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiologia , Avda. Blasco Ibáñez 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain +34 9 63 86 40 20 ; +34 9 63 86 46 68 ; jose.minarro@uv.es.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miñarro
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D002047:Buprenorphine; D009271:Naltrexone
keywords: baclofen; buprenorphine; glutamate; methadone; naltrexone; neuroinflammation; neuropeptides; opiate dependence; pharmacogenetics; pregabalin and gabapentin