‘Sticky’ OxyContin is New and Tamper Resistant

by slbts — last modified Nov 10, 2009 01:45 PM

The FDA Panel Recommends that a new formulation of OxyContin be brought to market. The new formula of OxyContin will include Remoxy which will make the OxyContin tablet sticky and difficult to crush in order to be snorted or injected.

The potent opiate pain medication OxyContin was developed originally to deliver medication gradually over many hours, providing lasting analgesia to those with moderate to severe pain, such as cancer patients.

It didn’t take abusers long to figure out that by breaking and crushing the tablets, they could have access to all of oxycontin girlOxyContin’s substantial opiates at once (when snorted chewed or injected). The pill became known as ‘hillbilly heroin’ amongst other monikers, for the intense high it could deliver – and for its addictiveness.

Lawsuit Against OxyContin's Creator

For misleading doctors about the drug’s abuse potential, in 2007, Purdue Pharma was court ordered to pay more than $600 million in damages. OxyContin remains Purdue’s biggest selling medication, with sales topping a billion dollars per year.

Purdue Pharma has said that within 2 weeks of FDA approval, 90% of retailed OxyContin would contain the new tamper proof formulation.

By 2006, more than 4 million people had used the medication for non medical reasons and in 2008, 171,000 people under the age of 21 abused OxyContin to get high for the first time. (SAMHSA)

A New Tamper Proof OxyContin Formula

Due to the medication’s propensity for abuse, Purdue Pharma had submitted a new tamper resistant version of the drug to an FDA advisory committee for recommendation.

On Sept. 24th, this FDA advisory committee voted to recommend for approval this new OxyContin formulation; and although advisory committee recommendations are non binding, they generally result in later FDA drug approval. 

The new OxyContin formulation contains a chemical called Remoxy, which renders the medication resinous and difficult to crush for snorting or injection.

Although several FDA panel members expressed reservations about the real efficacy of the Remoxy additive, they said that they voted to recommend the new formulation to at least get the current very easily abused version off the shelves.

Purdue Pharma has said that within 2 weeks of FDA approval, 90% of retailed OxyContin would contain the new tamper proof formulation.

Oxycontin

Avatar Posted by Joe at Dec 09, 2009 02:20 PM
Changing the formulation of high powered pain medications like oxycontin. will cut down on people from overdosing, on these drugs. Just wait and see the rate of heroin related deaths go sky rocketing. If people want to get high, they will get high. Whether it is from Mommys little helpers, or the guy on the corner, slinging bags for $10. Also, as the price of heroin goes increasingly down, overdose's have gone up, at least 25% just this year. I am sure the taliban, appreaciates that the U.S, keeps making it harder, for Americans in pain, to acess good pain medication. Chronic pain is a horrible, evil thing, and one will do just about anything, to get relief. So go ahead FDA,DEA, and all the rest of you A's. You think you have a problem now, just take a look around. Russia, and other countries in that region have 60 percent of the population addicted to the purest, cheapest heroin ever, and is spreading like wildfire. The idiot politicians in this country, are cutting off their noses, to spite their dumb ass faces.