• Molecular NameBuprenorphine
  • SynonymBuprenophine; Buprenorfina [INN-Spanish]; buprenorphine; Buprenorphine Hcl; Buprenorphinum [INN-Latin]
  • Weight467.65
  • Drugbank_IDDB00921
  • ACS_NO52485-79-7
  • Show 3D model
  • LogP (experiment)4.82
  • LogP (predicted, AB/LogP v2.0)4.81
  • pka8.5, 10.0
  • LogD (pH=7, predicted)3.48
  • Solubility (experiment)N/A
  • LogS (predicted, ACD/Labs)(ph=7)-2.9
  • LogSw (predicted, AB/LogsW2.0)0.0
  • Sw (mg/ml) (predicted, ACD/Labs)0.05
  • No.of HBond Donors2
  • No.of HBond Acceptors5
  • No.of Rotatable Bonds5
  • TPSA62.16
  • StatusFDA approved
  • AdministrationN/A
  • PharmacologyManifestations of acute overdose include pinpoint pupils, sedation, hypotension, respiratory depression and death.
  • Absorption_valueN/A
  • Absorption (description)Following intramuscular injection, buprenorphine rapidly reaches peak plasma concentration. Absorption also takes place through the buccal mucosa following sublingual administration.
  • Caco_2N/A
  • Bioavailability28.0
  • Protein binding96.0
  • Volume of distribution (VD)1.44 L/kg
  • Blood/Plasma Partitioning ratio (D_blood)N/A
  • MetabollsmIt is metabolised mainly by N-dealkylation via cytochrome P450 CYP3A4 to N-dealkylbuprenorphine (norbuprenorphine) and conjugation.
  • Half life2.33 h
  • ExcretionIt is eliminated mainly in the faeces with a small proportion excreted in the urine, as metabolites. Buprenorphine is subject to considerable first-pass metabolism following oral administration. Small amounts of buprenorphine are distributed into breast milk.
  • Urinary ExcretionNegligible
  • Clerance13.3 ml/min/kg.
  • ToxicityA 25-year-old male who apparently had committed suicide (drug packages including high-dose sublingual tablets of buprenorphine were found next to his body) had the following postmortem tissue concentrations of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine: blood 3.3 and 0.4 mg/L, urine 3.4 and 0.6 mg/L, bile 2035 and 536 mg/L, brain 6.4 and 3.9 μg/g; high concentrations of amino-7-flunitrazepam, the main metabolite of flunitrazepam, were also detected in the blood, urine and gastric fluid. [J. M. Gaulier et al.,J. Forensic Sci.,2000, 45, 226–228.] In 2 series of 39 and 78 fatalities involving buprenorphine, postmortem blood levels were 0.0005 to 0.0510 mg/L (mean 0.0102) and 0.0001 to 0.0760 mg/L (mean 0.0126); norbuprenorphine levels were 0.0002 to 0.0471 mg/L (mean 0.0082) and <0.0001 to 0.0650 mg/L (mean 0.0106), respectively. Two of the deaths were suicides, with blood buprenorphine concentrations of 0.1440 and 3.276 mg/L. [P. Kintz,Forensic Sci. Int.,2001, 121, 65–69.]
  • LD50 (rat)N/A
  • LD50 (mouse)N/A