NEW YORK— Drug companies are working to develop a pure, more powerful version of the nation'ssecond most-abusedmedicine, which has addiction expertsworried thatitcould spura new wave of abuse.
The new pillscontain thehighly addictive painkillerhydrocodone, packing upto 10 timesthe amountof the drug asexisting medicationssuch asVicodin. Four companies have begun patienttesting, and oneof them – ZOGenix of San Diego –plansto apply early next year to begin marketing its product, Zohydro.
If
approved, it wouldmark the first time patients couldlegally buy pure hydrocodone. Existing products combine the drug with nonaddictive painkillers suchasacetaminophen.
Criticssay they are especially worried about Zohydro, a timed-release drug meant for managing
OxyContin, introduced in 1995 by Purdue Pharma of Stamford, Conn., was designed to manage pain with a formula thatdribbledone doseof oxycodone over many hours.
Abusers quickly discoveredthey could defeatthe timed-release featureby crushing the pills. Purdue Pharma changed the formula to make OxyContin more tamper-resistant, but addictshave moved onto generic oxycodone and other drugs thatdo nothave a timed-release feature.
Oxycodone isnow themost-abused medicine in the UnitedStates, with hydrocodone second, more from HP
Short URL: http://www.newsnet14.com/?p=9087
The new pillscontain thehighly addictive painkillerhydrocodone, packing upto 10 timesthe amountof the drug asexisting medicationssuch asVicodin. Four companies have begun patienttesting, and oneof them – ZOGenix of San Diego –plansto apply early next year to begin marketing its product, Zohydro.
If
approved, it wouldmark the first time patients couldlegally buy pure hydrocodone. Existing products combine the drug with nonaddictive painkillers suchasacetaminophen.
Criticssay they are especially worried about Zohydro, a timed-release drug meant for managing
OxyContin, introduced in 1995 by Purdue Pharma of Stamford, Conn., was designed to manage pain with a formula thatdribbledone doseof oxycodone over many hours.
Abusers quickly discoveredthey could defeatthe timed-release featureby crushing the pills. Purdue Pharma changed the formula to make OxyContin more tamper-resistant, but addictshave moved onto generic oxycodone and other drugs thatdo nothave a timed-release feature.
Oxycodone isnow themost-abused medicine in the UnitedStates, with hydrocodone second, more from HP
Short URL: http://www.newsnet14.com/?p=9087