N.H., ‘Ground Zero’ Of Opioid Epidemic, Sues OxyContin-Maker Over Its Marketing Tactics
Suing the companies that make the painkillers is a new trend in states' efforts to combat the crisis. The New Hampshire case comes less than two months after Missouri's attorney general sued Purdue and two other pharmaceutical companies. In other news, a study finds that abuse-deterrent opioids aren't effective and investors are flocking to a company that makes a medication that treats addiction.
The Associated Press:
New Hampshire Is Latest State To Sue OxyContin Manufacturer
The attorney general's office sued Purdue Pharma on Tuesday, alleging that the drug manufacturer has continued its deceptive marketing of OxyContin in a state that has been called the "ground zero" of the opioid epidemic. In a civil complaint, the state alleges that Purdue Pharma has downplayed the drug's risk of addiction, overstated its effectiveness, claimed it is nearly impossible to abuse and failed to report suspicious prescribers. It's the latest in a string of lawsuits by state, county and local governments accusing prescription opioid manufacturers of fraud and deceptive marketing. (8/8)
New Hampshire Public Radio:
N.H. Files Suit Against Purdue Pharma For Alleged Role In Opioid Crisis
New Hampshire’s lawsuit against Purdue Pharma is being brought under the state’s consumer protection act. The head of that unit, Senior Assistant Attorney General Jim Boffetti, says investigators spoke with local doctors who claimed Purdue reps visited them as often as two or three times a week. The company, he says, downplayed the addictive risks of OxyContin and other opioids, particularly in patients being treated for chronic pain. (McDermott, 8/8)
New Hampshire Union Leader:
State Sues Maker Of OxyContin
The deputy chief of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has called New Hampshire “ground zero” of the opioid epidemic and the Centers for Disease Control reports four of five heroin users started with prescription opioids. “To defeat the epidemic, we must stop creating new users, and part of that is making sure these highly addictive and dangerous drugs are marketed truthfully and without deception and in such a way as not to minimize addiction risks or overstate benefits to patients,” Rice said. (Landrigan, 8/8)
Stat:
Abuse-Deterrent Opioids Aren't Effective Enough And Are Too Expensive, ICER Report Says
As the opioid crisis rages across the United States, a new analysis contends there is a lack of evidence that pills designed to deter abuse are truly effective in reducing overall opioid abuse and, moreover, the cost to prevent a single case of abuse or an overdose death may appear prohibitive. After reviewing available studies, a panel of experts concluded data to support most of the so-called abuse deterrent formulations is “promising, but inconclusive,” given that some pills are new to the market or not yet available. And while studies indicated OxyContin, specifically, is harder to abuse, all of the drugs may shift people to other forms of opioids, notably heroin or fentanyl. (Silverman, 8/8)
Bloomberg:
Investors Are Hooked On This Drugmaker Battling Opioid Abuse
As opioid addiction reaches epidemic proportions in American communities, investors are getting hooked on a U.K. company trying to wean them off. Indivior Plc makes Suboxone Film, a prescription medicine to treat dependence on illegal or prescription opioids, a class of drugs including heroin that act on the nervous system to relieve pain. Patients place the small, rectangular piece of film containing an active ingredient known as buprenorphine under their tongue or inside their cheek once a day to reduce cravings and suppress withdrawal symptoms. (Wiggins, 8/8)
NPR:
Naloxone Prices Are Up As Demand Has Increased
In Prince George's County, Md., every first responder carries naloxone, the drug that can reverse an opioid overdose. "We carry it in our first-in bags," says Bryan Spies, the county's battalion chief in charge of emergency services. "So whenever we arrive at a patient's side, it's in the bag, along with things like glucose, aspirin and oxygen." (Kodjak, 8/8)
And outlets report on news from the crisis out of the states —
The Associated Press:
High-Tech Ideas To Fix Opioid Crisis Compete For Ohio Grants
A call by Republican Gov. John Kasich for scientific breakthroughs to help solve the opioid crisis is drawing interest from dozens of groups with ideas including remote controlled medication dispensers, monitoring devices for addicts, mobile apps and pain-relieving massage gloves. The state has received project ideas from 44 hospitals, universities and various medical device, software and pharmaceutical developers that plan to apply for up to $12 million in competitive research-and-development grants. The grant money is being combined with $8 million for an Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge, a competition similar to one spearheaded by the NFL to address concussions. (8/8)
NPR:
Nashville Mayor, Mourning Son's Overdose Death, Aims To Save Other Children's Lives
The epidemic of drug overdose deaths has hit home for the mayor of Nashville, Tenn. Her 22-year-old son, Max Barry, died last month of an overdose near Denver. And for the first time since tragedy struck her family, Mayor Megan Barry spoke publicly Monday to call on families to have frank and difficult conversations about addiction. (Gonzalez, 8/8)
KCUR:
Johnson County Opioid Usage Appears Steady, But Red Flags Remain
While communities across the country deal with dramatic increases in illegal opioid use, statistics in Johnson County suggest rates of death and addiction closer to home are relatively more stable. Court filings involving opioid offenses have remained relatively flat in recent years, and illegal use has decreased for hydrocodone and oxycodone, two of the most popular opiates, according to a report from public health and crime experts presented to the Johnson County Commission in June. Heroin use remains steady. (Martin, 8/8)
The Washington Post:
A Secret, Supervised Place Where Users Can Inject Drugs Has Been Operating In The U.S. For Three Years
Somewhere in a U.S. city, a small nonprofit organization has been hosting a secret site where users can inject drugs under the supervision of trained staff who provide clean needles and guard against overdoses, researchers said Tuesday. The site, which is illegal under federal law, has been operating for three years, according to a paper published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. It is part of the “harm reduction” strategy adopted by 98 facilities in 10 other countries where supervised injection sites operate legally. (Bernstein, 8/8)
Seattle Times:
Bellevue Bans Safe-Injection Sites For Heroin Users
Bellevue banned safe-injection sites for heroin users Monday although none has been proposed for King County’s second-largest city and it’s highly unlikely one would be. The controversial sites endorsed by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine appear to have stalled, even as they ripple through local politics. (Young, 8/8)
