Makers of OxyContin to Submit "Abuse-Resistant" Painkiller to FDA
After it was announced last week that Zohydro—the painkiller ten times stronger than Vicodin—would become available in California markets this month, the makers of OxyContin have planned to submit their "abuse-resistant" painkiller to the FDA for approval.
The new pill, produced by Purdue Pharma, is abuse-resistant in its inability to be crushed for snorting or injecting. While backlash toward the introduction of Zohydro continues, the new pill, which will be submitted to the FDA later this year, has already made an impact.
Shares of Zogenix, the maker of Zohydro, plunged more than 20 percent after the announcement. Physicians would presumably be more likely to prescribe a harder-to-abuse form of hydrocodone, and the Food and Drug Administration could potentially pull Zogenix's drug off the market if it determines that a safer alternative is available.
Zohydro began shipping out to pharmacies last week.
