Page 14 - HOH SEPT 15 2020

A12 HEALTH
Tuesday 15 sepTember 2020

Experts: Revamped OxyContin hasn't curbed abuse, overdoses

By MATTHEW PERRONE possible to decipher wheth-
AP Health Writer er those positive trends
WASHINGTON (AP) — A were due to the reformula-
panel of government tion or a host of other fac-
health advisers said Friday tors affecting opioid use, in-
there's no clear evidence cluding government crack-
that a harder-to-crush ver- downs on pill mills and an
sion of the painkiller Oxy- influx of illegal opioids like
Contin designed to dis- heroin and fentanyl.
courage abuse actually Several studies suggest
resulted in fewer overdoses many people who abused
or deaths. OxyContin switched to ge-
The conclusion from the neric pain pills or illicit opi-
Food and Drug Admin- oids, but patterns of switch-
istration advisory panel ing varied widely across the
comes more than a de- country and populations,
cade after Purdue Pharma further blurring the drug's
revamped its blockbuster overall impact.
opioid, which has long Purdue said in a statement
been blamed for sparking following the meeting it
a surge in painkiller abuse would continue to work
beginning in the 1990s. with the FDA as it reviewed
In a series of non-binding the OxyContin studies. The
votes, the FDA experts said This Feb. 19, 2013 file photo shows OxyContin pills arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Mont- company declared bank-
that the updated OxyCon- pelier, Vt. ruptcy last year in an ef-
tin appeared to cut down Associated Press fort to settle thousands
abuse via snorting and in- of lawsuits accusing it of
jecting, compared to the quality of evidence was Purdue's 2010 revamped multiple studies showed over-promoting OxyContin
original drug. But panel- fairly poor." OxyContin was the first of the updated tablets are and misleading the public
ists overwhelmingly ruled The long-acting OxyContin several opioids developed harder to crush and dis- about its risks.
that data from Purdue and tablets can still be misused by drugmakers to help solve, making them harder U.S. drug overdose deaths
other researchers did not by simply swallowing them, curb abuse. But whether to snort or inject. They said hit a new high last year of
show that the reformulation which remains the most fre- the drugs met that goal re- those changes represent 71,000, according to fed-
curbed abuse overall or led quent route among those mains unclear and the FDA a "meaningful incremen- eral data, driven mainly
to fewer overdoses. with opioid addiction. is reviewing their use. tal improvement," over by fentanyl and similar syn-
Panelists said the shortcom- The FDA will consider the These so-called abuse- the original OxyContin thetic opioids which were
ings were due, in part, to group's opinions as it weighs deterrent formulations ac- launched in 1996. involved in about half of
the challenges of studying whether to revisit OxyCon- count for just 2% of U.S. Data submitted by Purdue all deaths. Deaths tied to
overdoses, which often in- tin's terms of approval. That opioid prescriptions. The showed both prescribing prescription opioid over-
volve multiple drugs. could include scaling back vast majority of opioids and illegal trafficking of doses have plateaued at
"I think it's very difficult to the drug's prescribing label- prescribed are generic ver- OxyContin decreased after around 15,000 annually.
tease out cause of death ing, which currently states sions of short-acting opioids the company pulled and The slowdown follows years
and overdose," said Dr. that it is "expected to" re- like hydrocodone. replaced the original ver- of prescribing restrictions
Lewis Nelson of Rutgers Uni- duce abuse via injecting Purdue representatives said sion of the drug. and warnings aimed at
versity. "Overall, I think the and snorting. during the meeting that But panelists said it was im- physicians.q

Study: Kids infected at day care spread coronavirus at home

their relatives, according those places and then be In the new study, research-
to a new report that under- brought home by kids. So, ers from Utah and the CDC
scores that kids can bring masks, disinfection and so- focused on three outbreaks
the germ home and infect cial distancing are need- in Salt Lake City child care
others. ed. And people who work facilities between April and
Scientists already know chil- in such facilities have to be July. Two were child-care
dren can spread the virus. careful and get tested if programs for toddlers, and
But the study published Fri- they think they may be in- the other was a camp for
day by the Centers for Dis- fected, experts said. older kids. The average
ease Control and Preven- Earlier research from the age of kids at all three pro-
tion "definitively indicates U.S., China and Europe has grams was about 7.
— in a way that previous found that children are less At two of the facilities, in-
studies have struggled likely than adults to be in- vestigators were able to
to do — the potential for fected by the virus and are establish that an infected
transmission to family mem- less likely to become seri- adult worker unknowingly
bers," said William Hanage, ously ill when they do get introduced the virus.
In this Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020 file photo, children play "pin the a Harvard University infec- sick. The study concluded 12
mask on Gov. Gary Herbert" during a "Trash Your Mask Protest"
rally hosted by the Utah Business Revival at the Utah State Capi- tious diseases researcher. There also was data sug- children caught the coro-
tol in Salt Lake City. The findings don't mean gesting that young children navirus at the facilities, and
Associated Press that schools and child-care don't spread the virus very spread it to at least 12 of
programs need to close, often, though older kids the 46 parents or siblings
NEW YORK (AP) — Children virus at day cares and a but it does confirm that are believed to spread it as that they came in contact
who caught the corona- day camp spread it to the virus can spread within easily as adults. at home.q