Recent Advances in the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

Abstract

Opioid use disorder (OUD) remains a national epidemic with an immense consequence to the United States’ healthcare system. Current therapeutic options are limited by adverse effects and limited efficacy. Recent advances in therapeutic options for OUD have shown promise in the fight against this ongoing health crisis. Modifications to approved medication-assisted treatment (MAT) include office-based methadone maintenance, implantable and monthly injectable buprenorphine, and an extended-release injectable naltrexone. Therapies under investigation include various strategies such as heroin vaccines, gene-targeted therapy, and biased agonism at the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), but several pharmacologic, clinical, and practical barriers limit these treatments’ market viability. This manuscript provides a comprehensive review of the current literature regarding recent innovations in OUD treatment.