COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCING ANALGESIC POTENCY OF COVALENTLY BOUND COMPOUNDS, ATTENUATING ITS ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS, AND PREVENTING THEIR ABUSE

摘要

The invention generally relates to compositions and methods with covalently bound compounds, such as controlled substances covalently attached to a chemical moiety, and opioid antagonists or covalently bound opioid antagonists to enhance analgesic potency and/or attenuate one or more adverse effects of covalently bound compounds, including adverse side effect(s) in humans such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, sedation (somnolence), physical dependence or pruritis. This invention relates to compositions and methods for selectively enhancing the analgesic potency of a covalently bound compound and simultaneously attenuating anti-analgesia, hyperalgesia, hyperexcitability, physical dependence and/or tolerance effects associated with the administration of a covalently bound compound. The methods of the invention comprise administering to a subject an analgesic or sub-analgesic amount of a covalently bound compound and an amount of excitatory opioid receptor antagonist such as naltrexone or nalmefene effective to enhance the analgesic potency of a covalently bound compound and attenuate the anti-analgesia, hyperalgesia, hyperexcitability, physical dependence and/or tolerance effects of covalently bound compound. The invention also relates to the addition of covalently-bound opioid antagonists to the compositions containing covalently bound compounds such that if the compositions are subjected to manipulation by illicit chemists, the opioid antagonist is released effectively reducing or eliminating the euphoric effect of the covalently bound compounds.