Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More States Have Cleared The Way For Purdue Pharma's Bankruptcy Plan
NPR: 15 States Drop Opposition To Controversial Purdue Pharma Oxycontin Bankruptcy
Fifteen states that led the effort to block a controversial bankruptcy plan for Oxycontin-maker Purdue Pharma have abandoned the fight. That's according to court documents filed by a mediator late Wednesday night as part of a federal bankruptcy proceeding in White Plains NY. Among the states that have agreed to sign on to the bankruptcy deal are Massachusetts and New York, whose attorneys general had mounted fierce legal opposition to the deal. (Mann, 7/8)
AP: More States Agree To Settlement Plan For Opioid-Maker Purdue
More than a dozen states have dropped their longstanding objections to OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s reorganization plan, edging the company closer to resolving its bankruptcy case and transforming itself into a new entity that helps combat the U.S. opioid epidemic through its own profits. The agreement from multiple state attorneys general, including those who had most aggressively opposed Purdue’s original settlement proposal, was disclosed late Wednesday night in a filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, N.Y. It followed weeks of intense mediations that resulted in changes to Purdue’s original exit plan. (Mulvihill, 7/8)
In other news about the opioid epidemic —
TechCrunch: Opioid Addiction Treatment Apps Found Sharing Sensitive Data With Third Parties
Several widely used opioid treatment recovery apps are accessing and sharing sensitive user data with third parties, a new investigation has found. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to reduce transmission in the U.S, telehealth services and apps offering opioid addiction treatment have surged in popularity. This rise of app-based services comes as addiction treatment facilities face budget cuts and closures, which has seen both investor and government interest turn to telehealth as a tool to combat the growing addiction crisis. (Page, 7/7)
AP: Evers Defends His Signing Of Opioid Bill Despite Concerns
Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday defended signing a bill that he believes is partially unconstitutional and that every Democrat except one in the Legislature opposed, saying the measure will speed disbursement of settlement money with opioid manufacturers. Evers’ decision to sign drew bipartisan praise at a news conference Tuesday in Waukesha, from Republican Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow and Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. (Bauer, 7/6)
NPR: Overdoses Involving Cocaine And Fentanyl Are On The Rise
On a recent Thursday evening, three dozen people gathered in the backyard at Nowadays, a trendy club in Queens, N.Y., to learn how to use naloxone, a nasal spray that reverses overdoses from opioids. The training was organized by a group of nightlife and health care professionals called Last Night A DJ Saved My Life. Some in attendance showed up because they had seen posts on social media saying that fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that's about 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, was being cut into cocaine, putting unsuspecting party goers at risk. (Lewis, 7/7)
AP: Mom Complains Of Suboxone In Son's McDonald's Happy Meal Box
Police have charged two Maine people with drug crimes after a mother complained that she found a medication used to treat opioid use disorder in her son’s Happy Meal box at McDonald’s. Auburn police said Wednesday they reviewed video surveillance footage and concluded the incident was the result of an accident by an employee. They said the employee had the medication, Suboxone, in a shirt pocket and bent over to retrieve something when it fell out, landing in the Happy Meal box. (7/7)
