Scrutiny Of Opioid Addiction Drug Marketing Intensifies As Sen. Harris Seeks Information From Alkermes
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) points to reports that pharmaceutical company Alkermes has attempted to increase sales of Vivitrol -- a monthly shot to treat opioid addiction -- by playing up misconceptions about other medications and trying to limit their availability.
Stat:
Harris Calls For Probe Into Alkermes And Its Vivitrol Promotion For Opioid Treatment
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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)