Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Opioid-Cannabinoid Codrugs With Enhanced Analgesic And Pharmacokinetic Profile, Harpreet Kaur Dhooper

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The central hypothesis of the dissertation is that “the design and synthesis of a codrug of an opiate and a cannabinoid can be achieved which is stable in the gastrointestinal tract and shows a superior pharmacological and pharmacokinetic profile when compared to a physical mixture of the two parent drugs.” To prove the hypothesis, a series of novel codrugs were prepared by conjugation of the opiate drug codeine with Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC), cannabidiol, abn-cannabidiol and an opiate prodrug 3-O-acetylmorphine with Δ⁹-THC. Codeine-cannabinoid codrugs were evaluated for analgesic activity in the rat after oral administration. The …