Tamper-Resistant OxyContin Approved by FDA

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new form of pain-reliever OxyContin designed to reduce tampering and abuse.

It is difficult to cut, crush, chew, or dissolve the new pills, preserving the slow release of the active ingredient, oxycodone, over time.  If a potential abuser tries to dissolve the pills in water, they form a gummy mass that cannot be injected.

After the new formulation is on the market, the FDA will require Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, conduct a study of how well it meets the goal of reducing abuse and misuse.  Purdue also must develop a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) that includes a medication guide for patients and education for health care providers on the appropriate use of opiates to manage pain. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on April 7th, 2010
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: FDA, oxycodone, OxyContin

Colorectal Cancer News in Brief: September 25

Briefly: Randomized research found that radiation treatment to the entire brain after surgery for tumors that had spread to the brain didn’t improve either survival or the time that patients remained able to function independently.  Mice with muscle wasting and fat loss from cancer benefited from a commonly used diabetes drug.

In other headlines, Katie Couric received an award from Fordham University and called her work with colorectal cancer awareness “her greatest achievement.”  A panel at the FDA has recommended approval of a new formulation of OxyContin that is less easy to tamper with. Online registration for the October 4th Strides for Life Walk/Run closes on October 1. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on September 25th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: brain metastases, cachexia, Katie Couric, OxyContin, Strides for Life