AvertD, a genetic test designed to detect which people are at heightened risk of opioid use disorder (OUD), has sparked controversy within medical circles. Despite its recent approval by the FDA, a coalition of 31 healthcare professionals and researchers is urging a reconsideration of its validity and potential implications. They say the test causes false
The DEA has announced new proposed rules for prescribing buprenorphine, a medication-assisted treatment. The new rules would replace a relatively flexible policy adopted during the early days of the pandemic that expanded MAT treatment to people even if they had never met their doctors in person. The new rules limit who can prescribe medication and
Scientists have been working on a partial solution to the opioid crisis, experimenting with ways to reduce addiction to medically used fentanyl. Some people addicted to it first had the drug in medical facilities for severe pain such as cancer or spinal injuries. Theoretically, people who are exposed to fentanyl, which has fewer addictive properties,
Just five days after agreeing to pay 225 million dollars to settle the federal government’s criminal and civil case, opioid manufacturer Insys Therapeutics filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, putting the actual dollar amount the government receives from the company in jeopardy. Why Did Insys Settle the Case? The federal government accused Insys of bribing
Opiant Pharmaceuticals CEO Dr. Roger Crystal said the opioid epidemic has reached epidemic proportions an interview on Fox Business last week. Crystal is a fomer emergency room doctor as well as CEO of Opiant, the manufacturer of Narcan. He helped the company formulate the lifesaving overdose-reversal drug. One of the biggest issues, he said, is
President Trump unveiled a plan to combat the opioid crisis in early March. The plan was criticized for its suggested death penalty to high-level drug dealers and return to heavy-handed law enforcement. One overlooked component of the plan was the allocation of funds for research into opioid vaccines. Vaccines could be a game-changer for millions
