The Rockefeller University

Studies of Long-Acting Opioid Metabolism Disposition Drug Interactions and Effects

Purpose

The overall goals of this continuing research are (1) to improve medical care of patients in maintenance treatment for heroin addiction by increasing knowledge about metabolism and effects of methadone and buprenorphine as prototypic long-acting narcotic agonist agents; (2) to develop specifications for alternative treatment agents both for opiate dependency and ultimately effective medications for cocaine dependency or mixed addictive disease; and (3) to gain increased information concerning tolerance and dependence particularly as related to -the metabolism distribution persistence and physiological effects of narcotic drugs in the body and the mechanisms of addiction; (4) to determine the impact of drugs of abuse specifically opiates and cocaine on the medical status of drug abusers including both direct drug effects which may alter normal physiology or may cause toxic responses as well as indirect drug effects including the abnormal physiological and pathological states caused by the sharing of unsterile injection equipment and altered lifestyle; the effects of treatment with a variety of specific pharmacological agents or drug free treatment on the natur-al history of the chronic diseases such as hepatitis B C and HIV infection which have occurred prior to or less often during treatment which may be altered by treatment. All of these studies will contribute to an increased knowledge about the natural history of specific addictive diseases in pharmacologic treatment in behavioral treatment or in no treatment.

Condition

• Addictive diseases