University of Cincinnati
03/23/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/23/2026 11:23
Extended-release buprenorphine viable, safe during pregnancy
Extended-release buprenorphine viable, safe during pregnancy
MedPage Today highlights UC-led research
2 minute read March 23, 2026 Share on facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print StoryLike
MedPage Today highlighted research led by the University of Cincinnati's John Winhusen published in JAMA Internal Medicine that found administering weekly injectable extended-release buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy led to higher rates of abstinence from illicit opioids than buprenorphine given daily under the tongue.
"These findings support weekly extended-release buprenorphine as another viable treatment option for pregnant and postpartum patients with opioid use disorder," Winhusen, PhD, principal investigator and lead author, director of the UC/UC Health Addiction Center, Donald C. Harrison endowed chair in medicine, vice chair of addiction sciences and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience in UC's College of Medicine, told MedPage Today.
The research team additionally "did not see worse neonatal opioid withdrawal outcomes among infants exposed to extended-release buprenorphine, despite the higher overall buprenorphine exposure with the injectable formulation," Winhusen noted.
Read the MedPage Today article.
Featured photo at top of a pregnant woman. Photo/Stock Planet/iStock.
Tags
Related Stories
1
Cape Girardeau, Missouri news highlights UC clinical trial
February 20, 2024
KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, Missouri highlighted a University of Cincinnati clinical trial testing a wearable neurostimulation device to help patients with opioid use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder stick with medication treatment while finding the right dose.
2
Enquirer: Experts discuss reasons for drop in overdose deaths
April 12, 2023
The University of Cincinnati's Christine Wilder, MD, spoke with the Cincinnati Enquirer about Hamilton County data that overdose deaths in 2022 dropped for the first time in six years.
3
Cannabis Man podcast highlights UC researcher
May 5, 2022
The University of Cincinnati's LaTrice Montgomery was a guest on the Cannabis Man podcast to discuss the current state of cannabis research.
University of Cincinnati published this content on March 23, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 23, 2026 at 17:23 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]