Tag: opioid epidemic

Purdue Pharma and owners to pay $7.4 billion in settlement of lawsuits over the toll of OxyContin

Members of the family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, and the company itself, agreed to pay up to $7.4 billion in a new settlement to lawsuits over the toll of the powerful prescription painkiller, the attorneys general from several states announced Thursday.

The deal, agreed to by Purdue Pharma, the Sackler family members who own the company and lawyers representing state and local governments and thousands of victims of the opioid crisis, replaces a previous settlement deal that was rejected last year by the U.S. Supreme Court.

In the new one, the Sacklers agreed to pay up to $6.5 billion and give up ownership of the company, which would pay nearly $900 million. The maximum contribution from family members is $500 million more than the previous deal.

It’s among the largest settlements reached over the past several years in a series of lawsuits by local, state, Native American tribal governments and others seeking to hold companies responsible for a deadly epidemic. Aside from the Purdue deal, others worth around $50 billion have been announced — and most of the money is required to be used to stem the crisis.

The deal still needs court approval, and some of the details are yet to be ironed out. An arm of the federal Department of Justice opposed the previous settlement, even after every state agreed, and took the battle to the U.S. Supreme Court. But under President Donald Trump, the federal government is not expected to oppose the new deal.

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Purdue Pharma, Sackler family owners agree to landmark $7.4B opioid settlement

Purdue Pharma and its Sackler family owners have reached a new $7.4 billion settlement to resolve thousands of lawsuits alleging that the pain medication Oxycontin caused a widespread opioid addiction crisis in the US, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton said Thursday.

The settlement was announced nearly seven months after the US Supreme Court upended the company’s previous attempt to resolve the lawsuits in a bankruptcy settlement that would have granted the Sacklers sweeping civil immunity from opioid lawsuits in exchange for a payment of up to $6 billion.

The Supreme Court ruled that the Sacklers, who did not file for bankruptcy themselves, were not entitled to legal protections meant to give bankrupt debtors a “fresh start.”

Under the new settlement, the Sacklers will pay $7.4 billion, without fully shutting off lawsuits from states, local governments, or individual victims of the opioid crisis. Those who do not wish to join the settlement are free to pursue lawsuits against the Sacklers, who have said they would vigorously defend themselves in court.

The deal was negotiated by 15 states, including New York, California, Connecticut, Oregon, Texas, Florida and West Virginia. The other states will be asked to sign on the settlement, which must be approved by a US bankruptcy judge before it becomes final.

Connecticut attorney General William Tong said that the settlement would help provide closure to victims of the opioid crisis.

“It’s not just about the money,” Tong said. “There is not enough money in the world to make it right.”

The latest settlement is meant to address a drug addiction crisis that has led to over 700,000 opioid overdose deaths in the United States over the past two decades.

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Legalizing Medical Marijuana Leads To ‘Significant Decrease’ In Opioid Companies’ Payments To Pain Doctors, Study Shows

Legalizing medical cannabis appears to significantly lessen monetary payments from opioid manufacturers to doctors who specialize in pain, according to recently published research, with authors finding “evidence that this decrease is due to medical marijuana becoming available as a substitute” for prescription painkillers.

“We find MML [medical marijuana legalization] leads opioid manufacturers to decrease direct payments to physicians prescribing opioids,” wrote authors, from the University of Florida, University of Southern California and the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. “Our analyses suggest this shift is due to increased adoption of marijuana for pain management, indicating that opioid manufacturers perceive marijuana as a superior substitute and respond by reducing these payments.”

The study was published late last year in the Journal of the American Statistical Association and was partially funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation. It looked at various financial incentives that opioid drugmakers provide to prescribing doctors—such as consulting fees and travel to conferences—and used a novel method of analysis meant to estimate causal effects from observational data.

“Our analysis finds a significant decrease in direct payments from opioid manufacturers to pain medication physicians as an effect of MML passage,” the report says.

Wreetabrata Kar, an assistant professor of marketing in the SUNY Buffalo’s school of management, co-authored the new study.

“Our findings indicate that medical marijuana is increasingly viewed as a substitute for opioids in chronic pain treatment, with the potential to transform pain management practices and help mitigate the opioid crisis that has profoundly affected communities across the U.S.,” the researcher explained in a press release. “The availability of new pain management options can change the financial dynamics between drug companies and health care providers.”

The team’s analysis found that decreases in direct payments from opioid makers to physicians was higher among physicians “practicing in localities with higher white populations, lower affluence, and a larger proportion of working-age residents.”

“Lower income regions tend to have higher rates of chronic pain and opioid misuse, making them key areas for potential substitution with medical marijuana,” Kar said. “Black patients are also less likely to be prescribed opioids for pain, and younger populations may be more open to alternative treatments, which could explain the different impacts of marijuana legalization in these communities.”

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Legalizing Marijuana Led To ‘Immediate Decline’ In Opioid Overdose Deaths In U.S. States, New Research Concludes

A newly published paper examining the effects of adult-use marijuana legalization on opioid overdose deaths says there’s a “consistent negative relationship” between legalization and fatal overdoses, with more significant effects in states that legalized cannabis earlier in the opioid crisis.

Authors of the new analysis, published to the preprint repository Social Science Research Network (SSRN), estimated that recreational marijuana legalization (RML) “is associated with a decrease of approximately 3.5 deaths per 100,000 individuals.”

“Our findings suggest that broadening recreational marijuana access could help address the opioid epidemic,” the report says. “Previous research largely indicates that marijuana (primarily for medical use) can reduce opioid prescriptions, and we find it may also successfully reduce overdose deaths.”

“Further, this effect increases with earlier implementation of RML,” authors wrote, “indicating this relationship is relatively consistent over time.”

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Oregon sees record overdose deaths in 2023 despite national decline: report

Despite the US seeing an overall national decline in overdose fatalities Oregon experienced the second-largest surge in drug overdose deaths of any state in 2023, setting a record in the state. The findings come as Oregon has been one of the most pro-drug states in the country over the last few years.

Federal data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that roughly 1,880 people in Oregon died from overdoses involving opioids, stimulants, and other substances last year—representing a 35 percent increase from 2022 and setting a record for overdose deaths in the state. Only Alaska, with a 45 percent year-over-year increase, saw a sharper rise in 2023.

Nationwide, overdose deaths declined by 2 percent in 2023, dropping from 109,400 in 2022 to 107,700. This marked the first national decrease since 2018. However, Oregon’s overdose death rate has grown dramatically—by 237 percent since 2018—far outpacing the 58 percent national increase during the same period. 

Jonathan Modie, a spokesperson for the Oregon Health Authority, noted that preliminary data for 2024 indicates a possible decline in overdose deaths. 

“Our very preliminary 2024 data show Oregon is seeing a similar trend in overdose decrease,” Modie said, according to  Oregon Live, “but we are not sure why at this point.”

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Why Has Fentanyl Become Tool For US to Shift Blame?

The Global Times provided a detailed analysis of the origins and developments of the fentanyl crisis in the US in yesterday’s in-depth report, highlighting the role of the American pharmaceutical industry and the negligence of government regulatory agencies.

In today’s follow-up report, we reveal why the US government continues to shirk responsibility for the fentanyl abuse crisis, shifting the blame onto other countries, using it as a tool for extortion and attacks against China.

China was, in fact, the first country in the world to officially scheduled all fentanyl-related substances in 2019. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning recently stated that China has carried out extensive and in-depth counternarcotics cooperation with the US, which has been highly productive.

“China remains ready to continue counternarcotics cooperation with the US on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect. We hope the US will not take China’s goodwill for granted and work to ensure that the hard-won positive dynamics will stay in the counternarcotics cooperation,” Mao said.

Conflating Border Issue With Fentanyl Crisis

According to US media outlets, in this year’s US elections, both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates reached a rare consensus – the American drug problem is entirely the fault of drug dealers.

Republicans have heavily criticized Democrats for allowing fentanyl to surge into the country, while Democrats have responded by claiming that they have cracked down on fentanyl traffickers, media reported in October.

Statistics from AdImpact, an American advertising company, show that in September, Republicans spent over $11 million on TV ads accusing Democrats of contributing to fentanyl trafficking, while Democrats spent almost $18 million to defend themselves, highlighting their efforts in combating trafficking.

The New York Times reported in July that Donald Trump’s first television ad attacking Harris in the summer featured footage of her dancing at an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop music and images of migrants crossing the border. The ad claimed that “on Harris’ watch,” over 250,000 people died from fentanyl overdose. The 30-second ad also displayed the slogan “Failed. Weak. Dangerously Liberal.”

Facing attacks, Harris emphasized that during her visit to the US-Mexico border in September, she would make disrupting fentanyl’s flow into the US a top priority.

A spokesperson for the Harris campaign stated that she would target the global fentanyl supply chain and fight for more support for Americans battling addiction, NBC News reported.

A report noted in October that this consensus reflected by both parties represents a shared sentiment among American voters – that most fentanyl comes from Mexico, and the country’s approach to drug addiction has become hardening.

Regarding why both parties choose to link border crossings with the fentanyl crisis, Erika Franklin Fowler, a professor at Wesley University, analyzed, “It’s an easy shortcut in a 30-second commercial to tie a broader issue to one that has an easy explanation.”

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New York City’s Push to Ban Mail at Rikers Was Based on Drug Test Kits With an 85 Percent Error Rate

In 2022, former New York City Department of Corrections Commissioner Louis Molina testified before the city council about the flood of fentanyl coming into Rikers Island, the city’s infamous jail complex.

“How does fentanyl get into our jails?” he asked. “The short answer is that most of it enters in letters and packages laced with fentanyl, literally soaked in the drug, and mailed to people in custody.”

To illustrate the problem, Molina had a powerful prop: A child’s drawing of a reindeer that had been mailed to a Rikers Island inmate and tested positive for fentanyl. It was because of letters like this, Molina explained, that his department was proposing ending delivery of physical letters to jail inmates and instead sending them scanned and digitized copies.

There was only one problem: The field test used on that reindeer drawing wasn’t reliable, and a drug lab would later invalidate the results. Rudolph was clean.

In fact, a report released Wednesday by the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) found that, when it sent 71 pieces of mail that tested presumptive positive for fentanyl to a drug lab for verification, 85 percent of the items came back negative, including the reindeer drawing.

The DOI concluded that “field tests are not reliable, particularly with respect to the identification of fentanyl in items such as books, clothing, greeting cards and other materials sent through the mail.”

The basis for the DOC’s proposed policy ending physical mail delivery to inmates was a falsehood, and not a particularly good one. The problems with these drug field tests are well known: They’ve resulted in hundreds of documented cases of wrongful arrests around the country, and several state prison systems, including New York’s, have suspended their use.

The test kits use instant color reactions to indicate the presence of certain compounds found in illegal drugs, but those same compounds are also found in dozens of known licit substances. Over the years, police officers have arrested and jailed innocent people after drug field kits returned presumptive positive results on bird poop, donut glaze, cotton candy, and sand from inside a stress ball. 

A study published earlier this year by the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania estimated that these tests may result in up to 30,000 wrongful arrests a year.

The DOI says reliance on these field tests led officials to incorrectly focus on mail instead of other, more obvious, vectors for contraband.

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Pharma Execs Charged in $1.3 Billion Drug Scheme + More

Five pharmaceutical distributor executives and five pharma sales representatives have been charged by the Department of Justice for the unlawful distribution of about 70 million opioid pills and 30 million doses of other prescription drugs, worth more than $1.3 billion on the black market.

The charges were unsealed in the Southern District of Texas, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of Missouri and Eastern District of North Carolina.

Three Houston-area pharmacy operators were also charged in the Southern District of Texas for their role in the schemes.

Nine of the 10 individuals charged have pleaded guilty, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

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JD Vance Says ‘Bags Of Marijuana’ And Candy Laced With THC And Fentanyl Are Coming Across The Border, Blaming Biden-Harris Immigration Policy

Former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), is accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of failing to stop marijuana and fentanyl disguised as Nerds candy and other popular brands that appeal to children from coming across the border.

At a Faith & Freedom Coalition event in Atlanta last month, the senator talked about being invited to the evidence room of a sheriffs department where he says he saw “every drug you can possibly imagine,” including “bags and bags of marijuana,” pressed fentanyl pills and meth.

“I say, ‘Guys, what is going on here? You’ve got all these drugs here that looks to me just like a box of candy—a box of Nerds candy,” Vance said. “And they say, ‘Well, sir, that’s actually THC and fentanyl.’ But I say, ‘Wait a second, the cartels have disguised deadly fentanyl to look like child’s candy so that they can make it easier to get into our country?’”

“Yet we know that one of those packets of fentanyl is going to end up in one of our neighborhood streets,” he said. “One of those packets of fentanyl is going to end up in a child’s playground. One of those packets of what looks like Nerds candy, but is actually a deadly substance, is going to end up in our schools, and a kid’s going to open up a packet of candy, take a piece of candy out and lose their life because of it.”

“Now that is a sick and deranged human being that would do anything like that. But it’s a sick and deranged human being who would give that person power over the United States of America, and that’s exactly what Kamala Harris has done,” he said. “She has given these drug cartels free reign over our country, and now they’re smuggling in deadly drugs that look like child candy.”

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Could Psychedelics Transform How Doctors Treat Chronic Pain?

Doctors across the country are beginning to look beyond their prescription pads to explore new treatments for chronic pain management: psychedelics. 

As clinical research mounts, patient stories become more frequent, and a desperate call for new solutions to help people find relief for chronic pain becomes louder, substances like psilocybin and MDMA are entering medical education as promising new treatments.

Healthcare professionals are listening and learning how psychedelics could become part of their practices, offering new hope to patients for whom traditional methods – like opioids and nerve blocks – often fall short. 

Recently at the annual PAINWeek conference, more than 1,400 pain management professionals gathered to learn about advances in the field. Psychedelics took center stage: the 2024 event marked the first time psychedelic medicines had a dedicated track on the agenda.

Retired FDNY firefighter Joe McKay and advocate Court Wing shared their experiences with using psychedelics to combat their chronic pain conditions.

Presentations in the psychedelic track were delivered by patients, healthcare professionals, including Dr. Eugene Vortsman, licensed clinical social worker Erica Siegal, and attorney Deborah Linden Saly, who are each engaged in research, advocacy, or clinical practice with substances like psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, and DMT.

A growing body of evidence shows people living with conditions including chronic low back pain, migraine, cluster headaches, fibromyalgia, traumatic brain injuries, and phantom limb pain often find that existing treatments are either ineffective or come with troubling or dangerous side effects.

The presence and fervor around psychedelics at the conference is the latest example of a growing focus by the medical community on psychedelics as a new and promising treatment for a wide range of chronic pain and physical conditions.

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