LAAM (levo-α-acetylmethadol; methadyl acetate) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on July 9, 1993, as a treatment for opioid dependence. It is a synthetic μ-opioid agonist that produces pharmacodynamic effects qualitatively similar to methadone. LAAM can produce a competitive blockade of the effects of other opioids and can suppress opioid-withdrawal signs and symptoms. However, unlike methadone, LAAM may be administered on an alternate-day or three-times-weekly dosing schedule due to its long duration of action and that of its pharmacologically active metabolites. LAAM provides clinicians and patients with a pharmacotherapeutic alternative to methadone when opioid-substitution therapy is indicated.
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