What is Cassipa?
Cassipa is the brand name for a combination of two drugs, buprenorphine and naloxone. They are combined into a sublingual film, which is placed under the tongue and dissolved. Other brand names for this drug combination include Bunavail buccal film, Suboxone sublingual film and Zubsolv sublingual tablet.
Cassipa was approved by the FDA on September 7, 2018, for the treatment of opioid dependence. It is a maintenance treatment, meaning that it is used to help prevent a relapse from occurring once opioid use stops.
Cassipa for Opioid Addiction
Buprenorphine is approved for the treatment of opioid dependence. It is a partial opioid receptor agonist, meaning it binds to the same receptors as opioid drugs that are misused. Since Cassipa is only a partial agonist, the euphoric effects are weaker than what would be experienced with opioids. Cassipa also has a ceiling that once reached, no matter how much buprenorphine is taken, it will not increase the effects. This factor makes it safe from causing an overdose and decreases the risk of dependence developing.
Once a person is stable on buprenorphine, they can be switched to buprenorphine and naloxone sublingual film. Naloxone is an opioid receptor agonist, so it binds to the same receptors as opioids but prevents their effects from occurring. It is commonly used when a person is overdosing to limit the toxic effects of the opioid. When used in combination with buprenorphine, it likely reduces the risk of buprenorphine abuse.