A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, parallel-group, 5-week study of buprenorphine transdermal system in...

This multicenter, parallel-group, 35-day study in adults with osteoarthritis (OA) pain evaluated the analgesic efficacy and safety of buprenorphine transdermal system (BTDS) designed for 7-day wear.

Patients with OA pain inadequately controlled with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs or patients who had taken opioids for OA pain within the past year entered a 7-day run-in period during which they took ibuprofen only. Patients with pain > or = on a 0-10 scale had their ibuprofen discontinued and were randomized into a 28-day double-blinded period to receive either BTDS at 1 of 3 dose levels (5, 10, or 20 microg/b) or placebo. Doses were titrated to effectiveness over a period of 21 days and maintained for 7 days. No rescue medication was allowed during the study. The primary efficacy measure was the proportion of patients who achieved treatment success, defined as a patient satisfaction score of good, very good, or excellent (on day 28 or at early discontinuation) for those who did not discontinue due to ineffective treatment.

More BTDS-treated patients experienced treatment success than placebo TDS-treated patients (44 percent and 32 percent; odds ratio = 1.66, p = 0.036). Fewer patients taking BTDS titrated to the highest dose compared with placebo (p < 0.05). There were two serious adverse events (both in the placebo group) and no deaths. The most common (> or =5 percent) adverse events reported in BTDS-treated patients were nausea, headache, dizziness, somnolence, application site pruritus, and vomiting.

Compared with placebo, BTDS treatment was effective in treating patients with moderate to severe pain due to OA of the knee or hip. BTDS was well-tolerated.