Pharmacogenetics of Biochemically Verified Abstinence in an Opioid Agonist Therapy Randomized Clinical Trial of Methadone and Buprenorphine/Naloxone

Methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone are opioid agonist therapies for opioid use disorder treatment. Genetic factors contribute to individual differences in opioid response; however, little is known regarding genetic associations with clinical outcomes in people receiving opioid agonist therapies. Participants diagnosed with opioid use disorder, principally consisting of prescription opioids (licit or illicit), were randomized to methadone or buprenorphine/naloxone for 24 weeks of daily treatment (NCT03033732). Urine was collected at 12 biweekly study visits and analyzed for non‐treatment opioids. Variants in genes involved in methadone metabolism (CYP2B6, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4), buprenorphine metabolism (CYP3A4 and UGT2B7), and μ‐opioid receptor function (OPRM1) were genotyped and analyzed for their association with the number of non‐treatment opioid‐free urine screens. Primary analyses focused on the last 12 weeks (6 study visits, post‐titration) of treatment among those reporting White ethnicity. Additional sensitivity and exploratory analyses were performed. Among methadone‐treated participants (n = 52), the OPRM1 rs1799971 AA genotype (vs. G‐genotypes, i.e., having one or two G alleles) was associated with greater opioid‐free urine screens (incidence rate ratio = 5.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.43–11.26, P = 0.000023); longitudinal analyses showed a significant genotype‐by‐time interaction over the full 24 weeks (12 study visits, β = −0.28, 95% CI = −0.45 to −0.11, P = 0.0015). Exploratory analyses suggest an OPRM1 rs1799971 genotype effect on retention. No evidence of association was found between other genetic variants, including in metabolic variants, and non‐treatment opioid‐free urine screens in the methadone or buprenorphine/naloxone arms. Those with the OPRM1 rs1799971 G‐genotypes may have a poorer response to methadone maintenance treatment, an effect that persisted through 24 weeks of treatment.