sufentanil

Sufentanil is a synthetic opioid analgesic and an analogue of fentanyl, approximately 5 to 10 times as potent as fentanyl and 500 to 1,000 times as potent as morphine[5][2][3]. It acts primarily as a highly selective agonist at the μ-opioid receptor in the central nervous system, producing profound analgesia and sedation[6][8]. Sufentanil is used for induction and maintenance of anesthesia, management of severe acute pain (including battlefield or procedural settings), labor analgesia (epidural), and post-operative pain control[1][2][3]. Its high potency makes it particularly useful in patients with opioid tolerance or dependence. The drug has a rapid onset of action, strong analgesic effect, relatively long duration compared to other opioids in its class, and provides good hemodynamic stability during surgery[6]. Sufentanil was developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica. The sublingual tablet formulation (Dsuvia) was developed by AcelRx Pharmaceuticals in collaboration with the United States Department of Defense for use where intravenous access may not be available[5].

Brand names

SufentaDsuvia

Other names

sufentanil citrate