For the first time ever, the Food and Drug Administration has asked a drug maker to pull a currently marketed opioid pain medication off the market over concerns that the drug is too easily abused.
Orthopedic surgeons need to consider opioid-sparing ways to manage their patients' joint discomfort before and after surgery, according to a pair of newly released studies. One shows the pre-op use of opioids negatively impacts the pain patients experience after surgery. The other suggests that overprescribing the powerful painkillers to manage post-op pain could be contributing to the opioid crisis that's gripping the nation.
Biomedical research and public health are among the big losers in the Trump administration's proposed budget. The proposal promises a "major reorganization" in the National Institutes of Health, which supports most of the nation's research on diseases and treatments. That includes a cut of $5.8 billion, about 20 percent of NIH's $30 billion budget. However, the proposal also promises an additional $500 million for the Department of Health and Human Services to "expand opioid misuse prevention efforts..."
Novartis’ generics and biosimilar unit Sandoz announced on Monday a new agreement with Durect Corp. for one of the small drug developer’s pain medications — Posimir (bupivacaine), a post-surgery pain reliever currently in late-stage testing. The candidate caught the eye of Novartis, which is paying $20 million upfront for U.S. commercialization and development rights. Durect can also receive $273 million in milestones, with $43 million for R&D achievements and another $230 million for meeting sales goals, as well as tiered double-digit royalties should the drug make it to market.
The Cherokee Nation is suing top drug distributors and pharmacies — including Wal-Mart — alleging they profited greatly by "flooding" communities in Oklahoma with prescription painkillers, leading to the deaths of hundreds of tribal members. The suit includes the nation's three largest pharmaceutical distributors: AmerisourceBergen, McKesson and Cardinal Health.