Topic: Pharma
Posts related to the pharmaceutical industry and its impact on addiction, treatment and recovery.
A Review of Buprenorphine Diversion and Misuse Internationally
Abstract
Outpatient opioid addiction treatment with sublingual buprenorphine pharmacotherapy (OBOT) has rapidly expanded in the United States and abroad, and, with this increase in medication availability, there have been increasing concerns about its diversion, misuse and related harms. This narrative review defines the behaviors of diversion and misuse, examines how the pharmacology of buprenorphine alone and in combination with naloxone influence its abuse liability, and describes the epidemiological data on buprenorphine diversion and intravenous misuse, risk factors for its intravenous misuse and the unintended consequences of misuse and diversion.
Study of buprenorphine diversion cautions against its misuse
Buprenorphine is approved in many countries for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), but problems with diversion and abuse exist. There is a need to understand how and why patients use diverted buprenorphine, and whether barriers to access contribute to illicit use.
58% reported a history of diverted buprenorphine use, with 37% never receiving a prescription. Approximately one-half (52%) reported using buprenorphine to get high or alter mood, but few (4%) indicated that it was their drug of choice.
Congress weighs in on pharma industry conflicts of interest
Global consulting leader McKinsey & Company drew unwanted attention in 2020 when a bankruptcy proceeding revealed that it guided the marketing strategy for disgraced opioid seller Purdue Pharma. Now McKinsey is under scrutiny from Congress after revelations that at least 22 employees who were consulting for Purdue and other opioid producers were also doing work for government agencies tasked with regulating opioid use.
Should Buprenorphine Be Made Available Without a Doctor’s Prescription?
In a July 2019 interview, two faculty of Boston University proposed that buprenorphine start being distributed without a doctor's prescription, with only a pharmacist’s approval. Easier access means that anyone currently struggling with opioid addiction could obtain this drug whenever they chose. But it also means easing restrictions on a drug that is currently abused, sold on the illicit market and addictive. It's time to look at who might profit from their recommendations.
A Phase 2a Study of Antibody for Methamphetamine Outpatient Therapy
The US FDA has not approved any medications for the treatment of methamphetamine (METH) use disorders. Currently, cognitive-behavioral and contingency-management interventions are the most effective treatments. IXT-m200, a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds METH in the blood, is being developed as a pharmacological treatment for use in conjunction with behavior therapies. Based on nonclinical studies, IXT-m200 is expected to alter METH pharmacokinetics in human subjects resulting in reduced or blocked METH subjective effects that reinforce METH use.
Is an Opioid Distributor Still Seeking to Profit from the Opioid Epidemic?
In 2018, McKesson committed the astronomical sum of $100 million to support a new non-profit group, the FORE Foundation. Is there any reason, really, to think twice about this collaboration between McKesson and the FORE Foundation? The answer might be "yes." This type of action was one of the tactics used by Purdue Pharma to smooth the path to increased opioid prescribing—getting a non-profit to spend your money making increased use of your products possible. In the end, even this move could be all about profits.
U.S. judge tosses $4.5 billion deal shielding Sacklers from opioid lawsuits
NEW YORK, Dec 16 (Reuters) - A federal judge overturned a roughly $4.5 billion settlement that legally shielded members of the Sackler family who stand accused of helping fuel the U.S. opioid epidemic, a decision that threatened to upend the bankruptcy reorganization of their company, OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP.
U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon said in a written opinion on Thursday the New York bankruptcy court that approved the settlement did not have authority to grant the Sacklers the legal protection from future opioid litigation that formed the linchpin of Purdue’s reorganization.
The Sackler Act: Will it Provide Justice for America?
In response to the legal maneuverings of the Sackler family as they attempt to escape the consequences of their actions, Representative Carolyn B. Maloney of New York introduced the Sacker Act on March 19, 2021. The full title of this bill is “The SACKLER Act and Other Policies to Promote Accountability for the Sackler Family’s Role in the Opioid Epidemic.” The purpose of this legislation is to prevent individuals who have not filed for bankruptcy, like members of the Sackler family, from obtaining releases from individual liability through bankruptcy proceedings. This is exactly what the Sacklers have been trying to do—and succeeding until the most recent development on this matter on December 16, 2021.