Product and Innovation

Pointe Buprenorphine Open Channel Reagent: A liquid,
ready-to-use product

January 2021

Introduction: Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from thebaine, an alkaloid of the poppy plant, Papaver somniferum. It is an analgesic often used as a substitution treatment for heroin addiction or opiate dependence. Buprenorphine can
produce typical opioid effects and side effects such as euphoria and respiratory depression. However, its maximal effects are less than those of opioids like heroin and methadone. At low doses, buprenorphine produces sufficient effects to
enable opioid-addicted individuals to discontinue the misuse of opioids without experiencing withdrawal symptoms. For typical opioid-dependent patients who received a stable daily sublingual dose of 16 mg of buprenorphine and 4 mg of
Naloxone for at least two weeks, 24-hour urinary elimination is approximately 11 % of daily dose.

Solution: The Pointe Buprenorphine Open Channel Reagent is intended for the qualitative and semi-quantitative determination of norbuprenorphine (a buprenorphine metabolite) in human urine at a cutoff value of 5 ng/mL and
10 ng/mL. The assay is designed for prescription use with a number of automated clinical chemistry analyzers.