Oxycontin Maker In Lawsuit ‘Negotiations’ With State Attorneys General
Purdue Pharma becomes the first opioid manufacturer to confirm discussions on suits filed by 41 states, including California. In other news on the toll of the national opioid epidemic: more kids are being placed in foster care in large part due to parental drug abuse, and a Navy admiral wages a new battle after he lost his son to addiction.
Bloomberg:
Purdue Pharma Discloses Negotiations With AGs On Opioids
Purdue Pharma LP acknowledged in a letter that the maker of the opioid painkiller Oxycontin is in “negotiations’’ with state attorneys general over lawsuits accusing the company of creating a public-health crisis with its mishandling of the drug. Maria Barton, Purdue’s general counsel, chastised Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine for pulling out of a multistate probe of the drugmaker by 41 of his fellow attorneys general. He did so shortly after signing an agreement to preserve his state’s legal claims “while the investigation and negotiations were conducted,’’ according to a copy of the Nov. 28 letter provided by Purdue officials. (Feeley and Hopkins, 11/30)
The Associated Press:
More US Kids In Foster Care; Parental Drug Abuse A Factor
The number of children in the U.S. foster care system has increased for the fourth year in a row, with substance abuse by parents a major factor, according to new federal data released on Thursday. The annual report from the Department of Health and Human Services counted 437,500 children in foster care as of Sept. 30, 2016, up from about 427,400 a year earlier. (Crary, 12/1)
The Washington Post:
A Navy Admiral Lost His Son To Opioid Addiction. Now He’s Marshaling Support To End The Epidemic.
Retired Navy Adm. James “Sandy” Winnefeld once had the ability to project military power anywhere on Earth. But when it came to finding help to pull his son Jonathan back from the depths of drug addiction, the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was at a loss. ... The Winnefelds and military health-care experts stressed that Tricare’s limitations mirror the civilian health-care system, where care for drug addiction and mental health issues has not kept pace with the widening opioid epidemic. (Horton, 12/1)
Meanwhile, the government takes action: President Donald Trump donates his 3Q salary to drug epidemic; FDA OKs a new injectable opioid treatment; and House Democratic lawmakers introduce a bill —
Stat:
Trump Is Donating His Salary To Fight The Opioid Crisis. Here's What It Would Buy
President Trump has pledged to donate his third-quarter salary to fight the opioid crisis. So what will that buy, exactly? We’re not sure yet. But it won’t go too far — considering the White House itself has said the opioid epidemic costs the nation about $500 billion a year in costs for medical care, law enforcement, and lost productivity. (Blau, 11/30)
Stat:
FDA Approves Indivior’s Monthly Injection To Treat Opioid Addiction
A new form of a widely used opioid addiction treatment that is injected monthly instead of taken daily as a tablet was approved Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration. Experts say the eagerly anticipated new version of the drug may help patients reduce relapses, disrupt the treatment market, and possibly dispel misconceptions about the drug’s potential for abuse. Indivior is the first company to gain approval for a monthly injection of buprenorphine. The company is best known for Suboxone, a daily formulation that combines buprenorphine with naloxone into a film that dissolves under the tongue. (Blau, 11/30)
The Hill:
House Dems Introduce Bill To Provide $45B For Opioid Epidemic
Four House Democrats introduced a bill Thursday to provide $45 billion over 10 years to fight the opioid epidemic. In late October, President Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency — a move that didn’t free up millions of dollars to fight the increasing rate of opioid overdose deaths. (Roubein, 11/30)