A new report published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety shows prescription opioid-related OD deaths are on the rise much more quickly than heroin and cocaine-related deaths. "Between 1999 and 2002, the number of overdose deaths linked to opioids increased by 91.2 percent...compared to 22.8 percent for cocaine and 12.4 percent for heroin."
The FDA granted Valeant Pharmaceuticals International the distribution of Cesamet, a synthetic cannibinoid similar to THC, the active molecule in cannabis. The drug is used to treat nausea and vomiting in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The drug works on a different receptor than conventional drugs used to treat nausea and vomiting, and therefore is well suited for patients who haven't responded well to the conventional drugs.
A study conducted by Partnership for a Drug Free America found that 19% of teens report having used a prescription medication to get high. The study found that about 40% of teens thought that prescription drug use was safer than illicit drug use.
A San Diego conference warned of the increasing addictions to synthetic prescription opiates like OxyContin. Authorities claim that these drugs cause problems similar to cocaine and heroin, but are legitimized by the public due to their availability as prescriptions. Former Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey said that "the abuse of these synthetic opiates comes with the same personal consequences as abuse of heroin." The conference was sponsered by CRC Health Group Inc., a provider of chemical dependency treatments.
An FDA advisory panel rejected calls to add warnings regarding the cardiovascular and psychiatric risks of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs to their labels. Although the FDA does not have to follow the panel's decision, it usually does. In February, a different FDA advisory panel strongly recommended the addition of such a warning to ADHD drug labels.
We previously reported on popular sleeping pill Ambien's relation to auto-accidents. The pill, which is prescribed to nearly 30 million Americans, has received more press for other strange sleepwalking behaviors it causes. Apparently, some users sleepwalk to the kitchen in the middle of the night, binge on food, and then return to their beds with no recollection of what happened.
March 13th's CESAR Fax reports on a trend in illicit use of pain medication where college-age students who were prescribed such medications earlier in life were more likely to later use those prescriptions in an illicit fashion. The likelihood of illicit use increased the earlier in user's life that the medications were prescribed; those who had received prescriptions in elementary school were the biggest abusers in adulthood.
After many states, especially in the Midwest, have passed legislature to restrict the meth ingredient pseudoephedrine, President Bush signs a similar bill for the nation. The new bill requires any medication containing the chemical to be sold behind the counter, puts a limit on the amount any one person can get, keeps track of who is getting how much, and gives $99 million per year for five years to local and state governments, as well as law enforcement agencies. Though this will help slow production of meth in the US, some fear increased importation to keep up with the demand. Officials have said that improvements in tracking and border enforcement should help control importation.
The sleeping aid Ambien has been cited as the cause for some car accidents. It is unclear if users are simply disoriented, falling asleep at the wheel, or actually driving while sleep walking.
The American Journal of Psychiatry published a study suggesting that adults are not likely to abuse ADHD drugs. While drugs that cause euphoria are susceptible to abuse, the subjects in the study reported no enjoyment of methylphenidate's effects, reducing the potential for abuse. Methylphenidate is the generic name for Ritalin and Concerta.
Yesterday, we reported on the WHO's warning regarding the growing threat of counterfit drugs. Today, the Financial Times reports that the World Health Organization will prepare a taskforce this week to tackle the issue. The WHO has chosen such a response over an international treaty, as critics fear that such a treaty "could simply serve as an excuse for delay and inaction."
The Centers of Disease and Prevention conducted a study of rhesus monkeys that has provided "the strongest animal data yet suggesting that potent antiretrovirals given before HIV exposure may prevent sexual HIV transmission." The study consisted of six monkeys given Truvada, a drug typically given to HIV patients as part of a cocktail to prevent the onset of AIDS. All six monkeys were then exposed to the HIV virus once a week for fourteen weeks. The six monkeys remained HIV free. Earlier in the study, nine different monkeys were exposed in the same way without the drug, and they all became infected.
India's national newspaper reports that the government has put forth "several measures including slashing excise duty by 50 per cent, exempting cancer and HIV/AIDS drugs from taxes, and making the maximum retail price inclusive of all levies." The result would be cheaper and more accessible drugs for the Indian populace. India's government is committed to providing free drugs for all citizens below the poverty line.
Seniors depending on affordable drugs from abroad might find that their package never arrives. Canadian pharmacies report that there were 800 seized packages in January, a big jump up from the average 15. While ordering drugs from overseas is illegal, the FDA is lax in its enforcement. The U.S. government claims that there has been no change in policy, and there is no crackdown.
A U.S. advisory panel said that ADHD drugs should come with warnings regarding increased risk of heart problems. One member of the panel said "I want to get people's hands to tremble a little bit before they write that (prescription)." The FDA reports 51 deaths in 2004 from such drugs.
New Scientist reports that THC has the effect of suppressing coughs by sticking to nerve cells in the upper respiratory tract, halting coughing spasms. Researchers at the University of California in Oakland have found a similar chemical, arachidonylethanolamide, that does not make users high, but has the same cough-stopping power. A patent for the concept can be found here.
The FDA will now allow earlier testing in humans for experimental drugs. The agency hopes to lessen the cost of testing for pharmaceutical companies by allowing the earlier testing. "The idea is that companies would be able to identify failing candidates and jettison them before they invest millions of dollars in costly clinical trials." Of course the earlier testing also increases the possibility of negative side effects in the human test subjects.
The Food and Drug Administration will begin to monitor how pharmaceutical companies advertise their drugs. This follows an overall expansion of the social sciences at the FDA. Furthermore, the monitoring also appears to be a response to the controversy surrounding Merck and their drug Vioxx.
More than 92% of the influenza virus circulating the U.S. this season shows resistance to the two current flu drugs, Symmetrel and Flumadine. Doctors have been calling for the use of Tamiflu and Relenza in place of the current choices.
Schizophrenic patients who took up to five drugs at a time received no benefit over those who took a single medication, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Doctors have been combining medications because Schizophrenia "is extremely difficult to treat, and one third of patients are not helped by established medicines."
Perceptions regarding prescription opioids were tested in a survey, which revealed that:
46% of the respondents do not understand that prescription opioid painkiller abuse is as harmful as heroin abuse in terms of how it affects the brain and body.
The survey also found that opioid painkillers are the fastest growing drug of abuse for teenagers.
California's Attorney General, Bill Lockyer, announced today that California was going to sue the federal government over the new Medicare funding program. Since it took effect on the first of the year, it's already cost $150 million in emergency funds. California—along with possibly Kentucky, Missouri, and Texas—will argue that it's unconstitutional that states are in effect paying for federal programs.
It turns out that hormonal changes during pregnancy do not protect against depression. A study carried out by Harvard Medical School and Massachussets General Hospital found that 68% of women who stopped taking prescribed antidepressants during pregnancy relapsed, versus 26% who relapsed without halting their medication.
Common drugs used to treat depression, Parkinson's disease and allergies can produce side effects that can be mistaken for early dementia. Since dementia is a leading symptom of Alzheimer's Disease, this can lead to misdiagnoses. The drugs that cause these side effects are known as anticholinergics. Adversely, the treatment for dementia involves pro-cholinergic drugs.
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