Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scrutiny Of Opioid Addiction Drug Marketing Intensifies As Sen. Harris Seeks Information From Alkermes
Stat: Harris Calls For Probe Into Alkermes And Its Vivitrol Promotion For Opioid Treatment
A mid a worsening opioid crisis, a U.S. senator has opened a probe into Alkermes and its controversial promotion of the Vivitrol monthly shot for combating opioid addiction. The move comes as Alkermes is scrutinized for aggressive lobbying and marketing. The company has spent heavily on contributions to lawmakers who are trying to mitigate opioid abuse. In state legislatures across the country, the drug maker has pushed bills that favor its treatment over rival medicines. And Alkermes has provided thousands of free doses to encourage usage in jails and prisons. (Silverman and Facher, 11/6)
The Hill: Sen. Harris Seeks Information From Maker Of Opioid Treatment
“According to these reports, Alkermes has targeted much of its promotion for Vivitrol at law enforcement officials and lawmakers, efforts which have included the assignment of sales representatives to judges overseeing drug courts and free shots to inmates leaving jails and prisons,” Harris wrote in a letter Monday to Alkermes’s CEO and chairman, Richard Pops. (Roubein, 11/6)
Bloomberg: Senator Investigates How Drugmaker Alkermes Pushed Its Opioid-Addiction Treatment
An Alkermes spokesman said in a statement that the company strongly disagrees with Harris’s claims and is “focused on ensuring that patients, health-care professionals and criminal justice officials are educated on Vivitrol and believes that patients should have access to all medications.” (Rausch, 11/6)
Sacramento Bee: Kamala Harris Scrutinizes Opioid Treatment Drug Manufacturer
In her letter to Pops, Harris asks the company to provide a list of documents, including: A list of judicial officials and drug courts to which Alkermes has assigned sales representatives; A list all jails or prisons at which Alkermes has provided free Vivitrol shots; Copies of any educational materials provided to law enforcement personnel or judges; Research or data “concerning the superiority of Vivitrol as an opioid addiction treatment.” (Cadei, 11/6)
In other news on the epidemic —
Stateline: For Addicted Doctors, Confidential Treatment That Works
They are among hundreds of physicians from across the country who come to this quiet, pine-shaded retreat 25 miles north of Birmingham, where they can get mental health and addiction treatment without jeopardizing their medical licenses. Bradford [Health Services] addiction treatment regimen isn’t unique — more than a dozen other addiction centers across the country offer similar programs — but when combined with other services offered by state organizations known as physician health programs, it is extraordinarily effective. (Vestal, 11/6)
The Hill: Trump’s Anti-Opioid Advertising Campaign Needs Millions
President Trump’s plan to use a blizzard of advertising to help stem the opioid crisis faces a serious funding challenge. Similar initiatives have been backed by hundreds of millions in federal funding, but it's not clear if — or how soon — the money for Trump’s initiative could come. (Roubein, 11/5)
Miami Herald: To Fight Opioid Crisis, Florida’s Largest Insurer Stops Covering OxyContin
That leftover bottle of painkillers in your medicine cabinet is one of the reasons that Florida’s largest health insurance company will stop covering OxyContin, the brand name prescription opioid, beginning Jan. 1. Instead, the insurer will start covering an alternative opioid that isn’t crushable for injection or snorting, reducing its potential for abuse, the company said Monday. (Chang, 11/6)
