Multicenter, open-label, prospective evaluation of the conversion from previous opioid analgesics to extended-release hydromorphone hydrochloride administered every 24 hours to patients with persistent moderate to severe pain.

BACKGROUND: Hydromorphone hydrochloride is a mu-opioid agonist with dose-dependent analgesic properties. Extended-release hydromorphone hydrochloride (ER hydromorphone HCl) capsules have been developed for administration every 24 hours. OBJECTIVES: This prospective evaluation focused on the first (ie, conversion) phase of 2 identically designed, randomized, controlled studies that compared the safety and efficacy of once-daily ER hydromorphone HCl capsules with immediate-release hydromorphone hydrochloride (IR hydromorphone HCl) tablets administered 4 times daily in the treatment of persistent moderate to severe cancer- and noncancer-related pain. METHODS: Patients being treated with opioid analgesics for persistent moderate to severe pain were converted to ER hydromorphone HCl using an 8:1 conversion ratio. The dose was titrated to attain an average pain intensity (API) score or = 48-hour period with an API score of or =10% of patients) adverse events that occurred within the first 48 hours after conversion and during the entire titration phase were nausea, somnolence, headache, constipation, vomiting, and dizziness. CONCLUSION: In this prospective evaluation of the conversion and titration phase of 2 randomized, controlled studies, a conversion ratio of 8:1 mg of oral morphine to oral ER hydromorphone HCl was found to be clinically useful in patients with persistent moderate to severe cancer-related or noncancer-related pain.