opioid crisis

Photo by John9474 - Eigenes Werk

Jonathan Sackler, son of Purdue Pharma founder Raymond Sackler, died on 30 June from cancer, according to the company. He was 65.

Jonathan served as an executive board member for Purdue but had recently stepped down, while retaining his ownership of the company. He had also been Vice President in the past, but was not as involved as his brother Richard who was Chief Executive.

The coronavirus is again in the news, with the Indian government considering banning exports of medicine as the epidemic threatens vital pharmaceutical supplies from China. This is not just a regional issue, as Europe and the US are also having their drug production pipeline disrupted by the epidemic. 

In UK news, NICE gives initial ‘no’ to NHS England for kidney cancer drug, while experts have called on the organisation to ban the sale of over the counter codeine. 

Experts have called for a ban on the sale of over the counter codeine as NICE is set to publish its draft guidance for the management of chronic pain next week.

Pharmafocus returns for the New Year with its January/February issue, and things have certainly changed since we left. Brexit got done – or at least, the first step in a long process – and the UK will leave the European Union at 11pm on 31 January.

It’s a path paved with uncertainty, but it does provide clarity for business and industry which have been previously unable to plan ahead in such a divided climate.

Purdue Pharma’s CEO Craig Landau can receive a $1.3 million bonus, ruled a judge.

Judge Robert Drain said the company was justified in giving Landau the bonus as it would keep him as CEO of the company.

Connecticut and the 23 other non-consenting states who have not agreed to settlement terms with Purdue, had strongly opposed the bonus.

FDA unanimously voted against Nektar Therapeutics opioid pankiller (NKTR-181) for chronic lower back pain, prompting the company to withdraw its application.

It voted 27-0 against the approval over concerns of people abusing the drug. They also felt that there was a lack of data to determine the possible abuse when snorted or injected and its potential for liver toxicity.

The Rochester Drug Cooperative (RDC) has announced it will no longer distribute opioid medications after two of its executives were charged with illegally distributing opioids and conspiring to defraud the FDA.

The RDC said in a statement that: "The ever-increasing expenses associated with the legal and regulatory compliance for this segment of drugs are simply not sustainable. While these specific drugs represent a relatively small percent of total sales, they account for significant legal and compliance."

Pharmacy chains have argued in federal court that doctors and healthcare practitioners who write prescriptions bear ultimate responsibility for the improper distribution of opioids to patients, not the chains themselves.

The filings were submitted Monday to the federal judge in Cleveland, who has been overseeing national opioid lawsuits. It asked the judge to rule in their favour and reject the claims bought by Ohio county against them.

An audit commissioned by Purdue Pharma, to help navigate its bankruptcy, indicates that members of the Sackler family withdrew $10.7 billion from the company and distributed it amongst its trusts and overseas holding companies, according to reporting by The New York Times.

The Sackler family are offering to settle more than 2,000 opioid crisis lawsuits for between $10-12 billion, according to NBC.

Sackler family lawyers said in a confidential meeting in Cleveland on 20 August that the family would settle lawsuits brought about by states, cities and counties for a sum of between $10 billion and $12 billion.