Bicycle Health provides Suboxone therapy for opioid use disorder. Bicycle offers educational resources on Belbuca, Subutex, and Sublocade, but does not currently offer those therapies.
Subutex is a brand-name version of Buprenorphine that’s no longer produced in the United States.
Keep reading to find out more about what Subutex is, how it works, where to get it, and what else you can use to address an addiction.
Subutex is a prescription medication the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved in 2002 for the treatment of OUD.[1] It was sold as a dissolving tablet that patients took once per day.
Each Subutex tablet contained buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist. In the 1960s, researchers developed buprenorphine as a solution for chronic pain.[2]
When taken properly, products with buprenorphine can do the following:
Buprenorphine products are remarkably effective. In one study, 100% of people taking a placebo relapsed to drugs, while only 25% of people taking buprenorphine relapsed. [3]
Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals discontinued Subutex in 2011.[4] The product was effective, experts point out, and the manufacturer didn't stop making it due to reasons involving safety or public health. Instead, the company chose to focus on other products.
The company that made Subutex also makes Suboxone, which contains an anti-abuse ingredient (naloxone). Rather than making and marketing two anti-addiction drugs, the company chose to focus exclusively on Suboxone.
Subutex is a brand name for the drug Buprenorphine. Now, “Subutex” brand is no longer available, but it is possible to get generic Buprenorphine alone, although most insurances cover Buprenorphine-Naloxone (Suboxone) preferentially over Buprenorphine-only products.
Buprenorphine-monotherapy is available for people who cannot have the Naloxone component of Buprenorphine for some reason. Historically, the two main reasons someone cannot have Naloxone is if they are allergic (very rare) or potentially if they are pregnant (although nowadays Naloxone is generally considered very safe in pregnancy and most providers recommend continuing Buprenorphine-Naloxone therapy during pregnancy).
Therefore, there are very few situations in which a person would require Buprenorphine-only products instead of Buprenorphine-Naloxone. However, if you are someone who needs or simply prefers to take Buprenorphine without the Naloxone component, talk to your doctor about whether or not insurance would cover a buprenorphine-only product.
The federal government tightly regulates the distribution of buprenorphine products. Even though this medication is a partial opioid agonist and doesn't intoxicate people with OUDs, those with little previous drug experience can get high on substances like Subutex. Regulating the drug reduces that risk, but it makes getting the medication harder.
Doctors need a special waiver to prescribe Buprenorphine. Medical professionals with waivers might work in the following places:
Subutex is no longer available in the United States. Instead, there are generic versions of Buprenorphine available. However, most insurance companies cover Suboxone (generic Buprenorphine-Naloxone) but may NOT cover Buprenorphine alone, unless you have prior approval from your doctor. This is because Suboxone is generally considered safer than buprenorphine alone because it contains Naloxone as an abuse-deterrent. [5]
At Bicycle Health, we offer Suboxone treatment for people with OUDs. Our telemedicine model allows you to contact talented providers with buprenorphine waivers. They know how OUDs work, and they're licensed to prescribe the medications that can help.
You'll work with our team remotely, and you'll get the treatment you need. Contact us to see if our model is right for you.
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Our science-backed approach boasts 95% of patients reporting no withdrawal symptoms at 7 days. We can help you achieve easier days and a happier future.
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