OROS Hydromorphone Prolonged Release: a Review of Its Use in the Management of Chronic, Moderate to Severe Pain

OROS hydromorphone prolonged release (OROS hydromorphone) [Jurnista] is a once-daily formulation of the opioid agonist hydromorphone that utilizes OROS (osmotic-controlled release oral delivery system) technology to deliver the drug at a near constant rate, thereby providing consistent analgesia over a 24-hour period. It is indicated for use in patients with severe pain and contraindicated in those with acute or post-operative pain. In several, randomized, multicentre, phase III trials, oral OROS hydromorphone administered once daily for up to 52 weeks was generally effective in the treatment of patients with chronic, moderate to severe cancer or nonmalignant/noncancer pain with regard to improvements from baseline to endpoint in patient-assessed measures of pain intensity, pain relief and/or functional impairment. Pharmacoeconomic analyses suggest that OROS hydromorphone provides greater cost utility than other opioids in this patient population. In addition, OROS hydromorphone was generally well tolerated in clinical trials, with most adverse events being mild to moderate in severity and similar to those seen with other opioids. Thus, OROS hydromorphone is an effective and useful alternative to other opioids for the treatment of patients with severe pain.