Introducing the new ‘drug-abuse resistant’ OxyContin®

For some reason I didn't publish it when I wrote it in September 2005.

Somebody on one of the email lists I am on asked about rumours that they had heard in Darwin regarding a new hybrid version of OxyContin®.

The rumours were true; although this new OxyContin® isn’t available yet on the Australian market.

“Addicts and abusers are going to find this very undesirable,” said Dr. J. David Haddox, senior medical director for Purdue Pharma of Stamford, Conn. “Before long they're going to say, 'Don't mess with that stuff; that's no good.’”

Introducing the new ‘drug-abuse resistant’ OxyContin®. Each ‘drug-abuse resistant’ OxyContin® tablet will have small beads of Naltrexone in it so that if it is crushed by any people who inject drugs they won’t get stoned off it when they inject it.

Obviously this new version of OxyContin® is more expensive than the current version; so, why has it been developed?

Patents

Until recently, Purdue pharmaceutical held the US patent for OxyContin®. The patent expired around 2000 and Purdue fought a number of battles in the US Supreme Court, arguing for an extension of the patent.

Basically, the company that owns a patent on something owns it, and only they can manufacture it. When it comes to pharmaceutical drugs, different corporations have different patents and make different drugs.

They all get a piece of the pie.

Every now and then though, the patents expire and the monopoly is lost; anyone can make the drug/product.

Purdue found themselves facing the loss of the patent on OxyContin® – one of their prime sources of revenue.

‘Drug-abuse resistant’ OxyContin® was their answer. But first, you have to create a market for the product and this will involve a massive publicity campaign by the Purdue marketing gurus.

Hysteria

What Purdue (and the other pharmas) needed was a little hysteria!

They wasted no time. In a 2001 Purdue media release, the company: “expects to receive notification soon of the publication of an international patent application for a pharmaceutical formulation that combines an opioid pain reliever with a “sequestered antagonist” that would work to help prevent the medication from being abused.”

The Purdue release goes onto say: “Purdue Pharma is concerned about increased reports of abuse of its pain medication, OxyContin® (controlled release oxycodone HCl) Tablets. As part of a comprehensive program of initiatives to combat this serious problem, the company has been investing tens of millions of dollars in research and development into pain relievers that are more resistant to abuse.”

All of a sudden we have a major offensive against ‘OxyContin® abuse’. Lawsuits against Purdue and websites like OxyAbuseKills.com – all create the illusion that our families and communities are under siege with OxyContin® that has been diverted onto the black market.

War on prescription drugs

This hysteria has spread to other pain relief drugs, basically all of the opiate drugs are being negatively targeted in some way. The US-based Drug Enforcement Agency has declared war on “prescription-trafficking” and they are pressuring governments around the world to adopt their position on the opiate based painkillers.

In March 2005, DRCNet’s Phil Smith said: “As you may or may not be aware, the undertreatment of chronic pain is a big problem in the United States, according to mainstream medical organizations. The problem has complex causes, but one of them is drug prohibition as practiced in the US. We have seen a wave of prosecutions of pain management doctors, especially those prescribing high doses of opioids (fully in line with accepted medical standards). These prosecutions--and convictions--have an exemplary effect: Other doctors are scared to prescribe, and many people in pain go un- or undertreated.

“There are additional obstacles if the patient has a history of illicit drug use. The DEA currently views any prescribing of opioids to someone with a drug history as highly suspect and a good indicator that the doctor is running a "pill mill." Thus, patients with legitimate medical needs for opioids are denied them for fear of running afoul of the feds.”

Phil’s statement: “Other doctors are scared to prescribe, and many people in pain go un- or undertreated”, is something that many doctors and chronic pain patients will be able to relate to. Many doctors in our home town Darwin have been targeted by the local health authorities, including Dr Henry Pang.

In Australia opiate-based drugs such as morphine and methadone, used widely to treat pain and opiate “dependence”, are referred to as Schedule 8 drugs. Over the last decade, these drugs, in particular the various forms of morphine and the people using and prescribing them, have been increasingly under the spotlight of public health and law enforcement organisations on a federal and state/territory level.

Once enough of a frenzy has been whipped up, governments will legislate to ensure that the use of ‘drug-abuse resistant’ drugs is mandatory.

Reckitt Benckiser are an example of one the drug companies using patents to maintain their profits. Another a company can obtain a patent is to re-batch a new version of an old drug; maybe altering the dose or mixing it with something else. Subutex and Suboxone are perfect examples of this. Perfectly placed to tackle the scourge of ‘Oxycontin abuse' and the 'abuse' of the other opiate-based drugs.

Different drug companies are taking their piece of the pie. In the meantime, a lot of people suffer.

What can we do about it?

Not much at this stage. The corporations and their mass media machine are overwhelming us at the moment. What we can do is Spread the word; join grass-roots campaigns; explain to your friends and family the real motives behind the ‘war on prescription-trafficking’ and ‘drug abuse resistant drugs’ – profit!