Levo-Alpha Acetyl Methadol

There are currently three Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved opioid agonist treatments for opioid addiction, which include methadone hydrochloride, buprenorphine hydrochloride, and levo-alpha acetyl methadol (LAAM). All three of these drugs are long-acting opioids, which bind to opioid receptors and thus block opioids from binding to these receptors. LAAM, as well as the other opioid agonist treatments, are long-acting drugs that have minimal psychoactive effects. Use of LAAM thus permits opioid-addicted individuals to engage normally in daily routines while decreasing craving or drug-seeking behaviors.

LAAM may also be labeled as levomethadyl acetate hydrochloride or levacetylmethadol. LAAM was developed in the 1960s and was under investigation as a medication in the treatment of opioid dependence until the 1990s. In 1993, LAAM was approved by the FDA as ...