Beginning with buprenorphine depot: characteristics and experiences of the first patients in a French addictions centre (2024)

Background: In 2019, 177,000 patients suffering from opioid use disorder were treated in France with opioid agonist treatments (59% received buprenorphine). In Europe, CAM2038, a subcutaneous buprenorphine depot formulation, was licensed in 2018 and commercialised in 2021 in France.
Aim. The Opale study aimed to explore the characteristics and reported experiences of the first patients treated by buprenorphine depot in a French addiction centre.
Methods. Data from this descriptive, retrospective and monosite study were collected from April to May 2022 using the medical files of patients who had received at least one injection of buprenorphine depot since 2021. These files also contained answers to three questionnaires specifically created to follow buprenorphine depot use. Kappa Santé carried out statistical analyses using SAS software. To analyse the questionnaire answers, statisticians and clinicians met two times to classify them.
Results. Ten of the 34 patients discontinued treatment. Five patients started with a monthly dose. The last dosage of those who quit was often weekly or less. All patients that continued used monthly depot. Twenty-one patients were stabilised within a period most often corresponding to the first or second injection. Most of the answers (n=20) about global experience were positive. Most patients did not regret the oral form and felt more accessible. Sixty per cent felt more optimistic about the perception of addiction. Finally, eighty-five per cent of patients considered buprenorphine depot corresponded to their expectancies.
Conclusions. This study adds to published studies collecting patients’ positive experiences with buprenorphine depot.