Dr. Olga Morozova: Extended-Release Buprenorphine (BUP-XR) for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence in the Context of the War in Ukraine

Opioid agonist therapy (OAT) represents a critical intervention for reducing illicit opioid use and opioid-related mortality. Extended-release formulations of buprenorphine (BUP-XR) have demonstrated potential for enhancing treatment adherence and expanding access to care; however, findings from real-world implementation studies remain inconsistent. To date, most evaluations of BUP-XR have been conducted in high-income settings.

Since February 2022, the full-scale war with Russia has placed individuals receiving OAT in Ukraine at substantial risk of treatment disruption due to displacement, instability, and interruptions in medication supply chains. In response to these challenges, Ukrainian public health authorities secured a donation of BUP-XR (BuvidalⓇ) from the manufacturer, Camurus AB (Sweden), and launched a pilot implementation program.

Dr. Morozova currently serves as a Multiple Principal Investigator (MPI) on a NIDA-funded study examining the impact of war-related trauma on HIV care engagement among individuals with a history of substance use disorders in Ukraine. She earned her Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the Yale School of Public Health and completed postdoctoral training in Biostatistics at Yale University. She also holds an M.S. in Mathematical Modeling in the Social Sciences and a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from the National University of Kyiv, Ukraine.

This talk will report findings from a prospective, multicenter, open-label trial of monthly BUP-XR injections conducted across ten regions of Ukraine between February 2023 and August 2024. The results will be discussed within the broader context of wartime disruptions and adaptations in the national OAT program in Ukraine.
This event is co-sponsored by The Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (CREES).