Mundipharma, a pharmaceutical company that distribute oxycodone and oxycontine in Australia, China and Europe, has published in 2008 review over prolonged-release oxycodone (i.e., OxyContin), where they claimed that oxycodone is superior to placebo in randomized controlled trials concerning several diseas. I can not pronounce over the credibility of this review since it was written by authors who “are members of advisory boards and speaker panels for Mundipharma.”

Among the diseases counted there were diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, osteoarthritis, ambulatory laparoscopic tubal ligation surgery, unilateral total knee arthroplasty, and abdominal/gynaecological surgery.

In 2001, the European Association for Palliative Care recommended that oxycodone, “if available in both normal release and modified release formulations for oral administration,” be second-line alternatives to oral morphine for cancer pain. There is no evidence that any opioids are superior to morphine in relieving the pain of cancer, and no controlled trials have shown oxycodone to be superior to morphine.

However, switching to an alternative opioid can be useful if adverse effects are troublesome, although the switch can be in either direction, i.e. some patients have fewer adverse effects on switching from morphine to oxycodone and vice versa.

A group of Australian researchers has proposed that oxycodone, unlike morphine, acts on -opioid receptors. Further research by this group indicates the drug appears to be a 2b-opioid agonist. However, this has been disputed, primarily on the basis that oxycodone produces effects typical of µ-opioid agonists.

A Japanese group of researchers suggests that the effect of oxycodone is mediated by different receptors in different situations. Specifically, in diabetic mice the opioid receptor appears to be involved in the antinociceptive effects of oxycodone, while in non-diabetic mice the µ1-opioid receptor seems to be primarily responsible for these effects.

After a dose of conventional oral oxycodone, peak plasma levels of the drug are attained in approximately one hour; in contrast, after a dose of OxyContin (an oral continuous release formulation), peak plasma levels of oxycodone occur in about three hours.

Oxycodone in the blood is distributed to skeletal muscle, liver, intestinal tract, lungs, spleen, and brain. Conventional oral preparations of oxycodone start to reduce pain within 10–15 minutes; in contrast, OxyContin starts to reduce pain within 1 hour.

We strongly recommend to everyone reading this article to use oxycodone only with medical prescription and under medical control, however, if you or someone close to you have problems with oxycodone addiction, we suggest you to visit Drug Rehab Canada