WHOEVER SIGNED THAT PETITION I POSTED...THANK YOU!!!!! BOSTON BANNED THE DRUG!!! YAY!!! FINALLY!!! KEEP IT GOING STATE TO STATE...........WE WILL WIN MOMS!!!!!! SPRINGFIELD - The manufacturer of a narcotic painkiller banned by Gov. Deval Patrick Thursday said the action will hurt patients and do nothing to relieve the state’s opioid abuse crisis. Drugmaker Zognix said the governor’s decision to block doctors from prescribing the hydrocodone-based painkiller Zohydro will force patients with severe pain to rely on alternatives containing acetaminophen, which has a high risk of liver damage. “Chronic pain patients in Massachusetts received a serious blow in their efforts to find relief for the suffering that affects their – and their families’ - daily lives,” the San Diego-based company said in a statement. “Ultimately, the ban on the prescription medication will add to patient suffering in the state,” it said. In declaring a public health emergency, Patrick outlined steps to address an opioid addiction epidemic, including banning Zohydro and allocating $20 million more in state funds for drug treatment and recovery services. Patrick said he targeted Zohydro because of its hydrocodone-only formulation makes it potentially more addictive, particularly to patients with existing addiction problems. The ban would last until authorities determine measures are in pace to “safeguard against the potential for diversion, overdose and misuse” of the drug, Patrick said. In response, the drug manufacturer said claims that Zohydro is more addictive are not supported by scientific data. Most opioid medications on the market today are at least as potent as Zohydro and available in stronger doses per unit, the company said. “We fail to see how banning the sale of a single new product will achieve the governor’s policy objectives when all of the products that are currently part of the epidemic remain available for sale in the state,” the company said. “We look forward to engaging with the governor and his representatives to review the safe use measures already in place,” it said. Attorneys general from 29 states, including all New England states, have already asked federal drug regulators to overturn the approval of Zohydro.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 13:01:26 +0000
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