More on Zohydro

~ Jason Schwartz

zohydro-extended-release-capsules-8Keith Humphreys on the release of Zohydro:

First, whereas Vicodin (which also contains hydrocodone) is prescribed in pills ranging from 5 to 10 milligrams, Zohydro will be an order of magnitude higher: 10 milligrams will be the lowest available dose, 50 mg the highest. Second, while most hydrocodone products are combined with acetametaphin or ibuprofen, which discourages overuse, Zohydro is pure hydrocodone. Third, after pledging that opioids without misuse-resistant features would not be approved, the FDA reversed itself with Zohydro, which includes no such protections whatsoever.

. . .

Investigative journalists at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Medpage Today recently discovered that the makers of Zohydro had a series of private meetings with FDA officials for which they allegedly paid handsomely. Several U.S. Senators are now calling for an investigation.

Humphreys also explains how the supporting research used an “enriched design” which will have fewer adverse events than real-world use.

Of course, another discomforting aspect of the story is that the manufacturer also manufactures a very expensive and heavily marketed drug to treat opiate addiction. So, the manufacturer will profit from addictive use of Zohydro and then again when Zohydro addicts seek treatment for opiate addiction..

Published by Jason Schwartz

I have been an addiction professional and social worker since 1994. I started blogging in 2005 as the Clinical Director at Dawn Farm. I no longer work at Dawn Farm and am now the Director of Behavioral Medicine at a community hospital, and a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work. Views expressed here are my own. Keep in mind that the field, the contexts in which the field operates, and my views have changed over time.