Buprenorphine is a strong opioid analgesic, acts as a μ-opioid receptor agonist and an antagonist of c-opioid receptors.
Buprenorphine is similar to morphine, but has certain clinical and pharmacological features.
The ratio of analgesic activity of buprenorphine to morphine is determined as follows:
Morphine is orally correlated with buprenorphine in the transdermal patch as 1: 75 - 115 (with repeated use in patients with chronic pain syndrome).
In addition, to compare the analgesic effect, factors such as the route of administration of the drug, the indication by which the drug is used, the clinical state of the patient and interindividual variability should be considered.
Side effects are similar to other opioid analgesics. In buprenorphine, the risk of dependence is lower than with morphine.