Providing Constant Analgesia with OROS® Hydromorphone

OROS® (ALZA Corporation, Mountain View, CA, USA) hydromorphone is a unique, once-daily formulation of the potent opioid hydromorphone that is being evaluated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic pain. It uses a patented Push-Pull™ (ALZA Corporation) osmotic pump system to deliver hydromorphone in a continuous, monophasic manner over 24 hours, resulting in minimal peak-trough plasma-level fluctuation. Peak concentrations are achieved approximately 16 hours after administration, with levels equivalent to approximately 80% of peak attained within just 6 hours. The apparent half-life of OROS® hydromorphone is 7–15 hours and steady-state concentrations are achieved after 2 days of dosing. The pharmacokinetics of OROS® hydromorphone are dose proportional and are not affected significantly by environmental factors (pH or agitation) or the presence of food. These pharmacokinetic characteristics suggest that OROS® hydromorphone is well suited to provide consistent, prolonged analgesia in patients with chronic pain.