Looming Showdown Over Safe-Injection Sites Pits Trump Administration Versus San Francisco
Federal officials warn that any city setting up a safe-injection site for opioid users will be met with "swift and aggressive action" and criminal prosecutions. On Monday, the California Legislature passed a bill approving San Francisco's plan to open such sites. Other news on the crisis includes the sale of Narcan-maker Adapt Pharma, more lawsuits against painkiller manufacturers and a possible crackdown on fentanyl in Massachusetts.
Politico:
Trump Administration Warns California Against 'Safe' Opioid Injection Sites
The Justice Department is threatening to shut down San Francisco's proposed test of supervised injection sites amid the opioid crisis even before the governor has a chance to sign the pilot program into law. The looming showdown could affect similar efforts in New York, Philadelphia and Seattle, where officials have grappled with the ramifications of setting up spaces where drug users could shoot up while gaining access to clean syringes, medical professionals and treatment services as an approach to curb opioid addiction and overdose deaths. (Colliver, Goldberg and Roubein, 8/28)
Bay City News Service:
Mayor: Safe Injection Sites Are 'One Step Away' After Legislature Passes Bill
The California Legislature on Monday passed Assembly Bill 186, which would give the green light for safe injection sites in San Francisco under a three-year pilot. Amid a visible drug crisis happening in the city, safe injection sites would allow for people suffering from addiction to use drugs at facilities under the supervision of trained staff. The bill now heads to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature. (8/28)
NPR:
Does The 'Club Drug' Ketamine Ease Depression By Acting Like An Opioid?
A new study suggests that ketamine, an increasingly popular treatment for depression, has something in common with drugs like fentanyl and oxycodone. The small study found evidence that ketamine's effectiveness with depression, demonstrated in many small studies over the past decade, comes from its interaction with the brain's opioid system. A Stanford University team reported their findings Wednesday in The American Journal of Psychiatry. (Hamilton, 8/29)
Bloomberg:
Narcan Maker Adapt To Be Acquired By Emergent BioSolutions
The maker of Narcan, the opioid-overdose antidote that’s been widely used across the U.S. to combat the nation’s addiction crisis, will be acquired by Emergent BioSolutions Inc. Emergent said the $735 million deal for Adapt Pharma, which includes a $635 million upfront payment and as much as $100 million in potential sales-based milestones, will expand the use of the nasal spray while maintaining its affordability and raising awareness of naloxone, the generic name for Narcan. The deal is expected to generate annual revenue of as much as $220 million in 2019, the company said. (Hopkins, 8/28)
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Opioid Crisis Impact On MetroHealth Leads To Lawsuit Against Drug Makers, Marketers
The MetroHealth System is pursuing legal action in federal court against opioid drug manufacturers and marketers in an attempt to recoup some of the cost for caring for people affected by opioid addiction and overdoses, the hospital system said today. (Zeltner, 8/28)
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
MetroHealth Sues Purdue Pharma, Other Drug Companies Over Nation's Opioid Epidemic
MetroHealth, the Cuyahoga County-based hospital system, filed suit Tuesday against drug companies over the nation's opioid epidemic. The hospital system says companies like Purdue Pharma and Johnson & Johnson overstated the benefits of powerful pain medication such as OxyContin and downplayed the addiction risks of prescription opioids. (Heisig, 8/28)
State House News Service:
Baker Hints At Fentanyl Enforcement As Death Toll Continues
Days after a new state report revealed fentanyl was detected in almost 90 percent of fatal overdoses this year, Gov. Charlie Baker suggested potential further action in the coming weeks aimed at combating the deadly synthetic opioid. ... In the first quarter of 2018, fentanyl was found in 89 percent of opioid-related overdose deaths where a toxicology screen occurred, up from about 40 percent in 2014. (Lannan, 8/28)
