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[Purdue Pharma] announced this week that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted fast-track status to its investigational drug nalmefene hydrochloride (HCl), an injectable, emergency treatment intended to rescue people suspected of having an opioid overdose. Purdue suggests that nalmefene HCl’s effects last longer than the similar emergency opioid antagonist naloxone. As such, the company hopes nalmefene HCl will out-compete naloxone at reversing overdoses from the most highly potent opioid, namely fentanyl, which is currently driving the alarming numbers of opioid overdose deaths. The FDA’s fast-track status will speed the development and regulatory review of the drug.
[...] In the statement this week, Purdue once again side-stepped any involvement in initiating the epidemic, focusing solely on illicit drug use. Purdue’s president and CEO, Craig Landau was quoted as describing the problem simply as “Fentanyl and illicit opioid deaths continue to increase in the United States, fueled increasingly by overdoses of this class of compounds.”
[...] Purdue announced that it doesn’t intend to make money on the new drug. “As part of Purdue’s commitment to advance meaningful solutions to address the opioid crisis, the company will work to bring forward this option with the commitment not to profit from any future sales of this drug.”
[...] Still, according to internal discussions at Purdue that were made public in a lawsuit brought by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Purdue and members of the wealthy Sackler family that owns the company had carefully researched the money-making potential of treatments aimed at reversing the epidemic.
An un-redacted section of the lawsuit describes a secret plan called Project Tango, which explored Purdue’s expansion into selling treatment options.
(Score: 2, Disagree) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday March 17 2019, @04:04PM (10 children)
It's not people using the drug properly and as prescribed that are overdosing. It's the idiots who use it improperly, know they're using it improperly, know it's dangerous as fuck to do so, and predictably overdose. You're essentially saying that tidepods need to come with a "for external use only" disclaimer.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Whoever on Sunday March 17 2019, @06:01PM (3 children)
No, its the people who used the drug, as prescribed by their doctor, but got addicted anyway. Then overdosed.
The company pled guilty to "misbranding" -- failing to correctly disclose the risks of addiction.
This company paid doctors with the expectation that the doctors would prescribe their drugs, lied about the risk of addiction and now hope to profit from the addiction.
Why am I not surprised that TMB is once again blaming the victims, while asserting the rights of companies to make illegal profits?
(Score: 1, Troll) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday March 17 2019, @10:44PM (2 children)
Their actions, their responsibility. You can't overdose taking them as prescribed unless your doctor fucked up bad, so it was your choice. And pretty much all opiates are addictive and anyone who's even heard the word opiate knows this.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Sunday March 17 2019, @11:08PM (1 child)
No, but you can get addicted, and many people did. The overdose results from the addiction.
You expect people who are in a lot of pain to refuse the drugs that the doctor is prescribing? Really? Yes, some people will, but most will assume that the doctor's advice is safe.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday March 17 2019, @11:50PM
Bullshit. Overdosing isn't addiction maintenance, it's going overboard while pleasure seeking.
If they're prescribing something you know to be both dangerous and addictive? Fuck yes I do. Unless you've been committed or are comatose, you and only you are in charge of your healthcare decisions.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Sunday March 17 2019, @07:22PM (5 children)
No, just that Tide Pods should never be advertised as a perfect sauce to get your kids to eat their vegetables.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday March 17 2019, @10:45PM (4 children)
If you're stupid enough to think an opiate isn't addictive and dangerous to abuse, you're really not any smarter than people who eat Tide Pods.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday March 18 2019, @07:06AM (3 children)
They fooled quite a few doctors. I'll leave you to your conclusions.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday March 18 2019, @11:42AM (2 children)
Yet more proof that education doesn't mean you're not occasionally a dumbass.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 18 2019, @02:01PM (1 child)
It's sad when people blame others for trusting and don't blame those who abused the trust.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday March 18 2019, @06:46PM
Agreed.