On Tuesday this week, South Carolina became the latest state to sue Purdue Pharma, accusing the drugmaker of deceptively marketing their addictive products in a way that fueled the ongoing opioid crisis. The state’s attorney general said that Purdue told doctors that opioids are not addictive and patients who appear to be addicted were only […]
Pain Management
Milestone Scientific logs Q2 beat
Injection device maker Milestone Scientific (NYSE:MLSS) topped expectations on Wall Street today with its second quarter results. The Livingston, N.J.-based company posted a net loss of -$1.5 million on sales of $2.5 million for the 3 months ended June 30, for bottom-line growth of 6.8% on sales growth of 4.2% compared with the same period last year. […]
Trump declares national emergency over opioid epidemic
President Trump said yesterday that he is preparing to declare the opioid epidemic a national emergency. This is a reversal from an announcement made earlier this week by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who said that they would not declare a state of emergency. “The opioid crisis is an emergency, and I’m saying […]
Study: Abuse-deterrent opioids are costly and unproven
In an attempt to curb the harrowing opioid crisis in America, drugmakers have developed what they tout as “abuse-deterrent” pain-killers – opioid formulations that are designed to prevent users from injecting the drugs. But a report published this week by the Institute of Clinical and Economic Review found that there isn’t enough evidence to claim […]
BioDelivery Sciences beats Q2 rev estimates, misses on EPS
Shares in BioDelivery Sciences International (NSDQ:BDSI) fell today after the pharmaceutical company beat sales estimates but missed earnings expectations on Wall Street with its second quarter results. The Raleigh, N.C.-based company posted a net loss of -$14.9 million on sales of $8.7 million for the 3 months ended June 30, paring losses by 9.7% on sales […]
Liposomes triggered by ultrasound enable targeted pain-relief
Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital have developed a technology to non-invasively trigger the release of nerve-blocking agents, helping to provide targeted pain-relief to patients as an alternative to addictive opioids. The team’s work was published yesterday in Nature Biomedical Engineering. “Opioid abuse is a growing problem in healthcare,” senior author Dr. Daniel Kohane said in prepared […]
Endo swings to Q2 loss on $775m pelvic mesh set-aside
Endo International (NSDQ:ENDP) posted a net loss in the second quarter of this year, citing charges like the $775 million it has set aside to resolve 22,000 remaining lawsuits relating to the company’s vaginal-mesh implants. The generic drugmaker faced other setbacks this quarter, including the FDA asking that Endo pull its painkiller, Opana ER, from the […]
MiMedx files IND for Achilles tendonitis trial
MiMedx (NSDQ:MDXG) said today that it filed an IND application with the FDA for the company’s late-stage Achilles tendonitis trial. The 158-patient study is designed to compare MiMedx’s AmnioFix Injectable with a saline placebo injection in the treatment of moderate to severe pain due to Achilles tendonitis. If approved, the trial will be the second […]
DOJ subpoenas Mallinckrodt over opioids
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:MNK) said yesterday that it received a subpoena from the U.S. Dept. of Justice requesting information related to its marketing practices and sales of opioids. The company, which manufactures only generic and non-promoted branded opioids, said that it has worked to prevent misuse and diversion of its products, pointing to efforts like its testimonies […]
Pacira misses on Q2 sales, earnings
Shares in Pacira Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:PCRX) fell slightly today after the pharmaceutical company missed expectations on Wall Street with its second quarter results. The Parsippany, N.J.-based company posted a net loss of -$19.7 million, or -49¢ per share, on sales of $70.9 million for the 3 months ended June 30, for bottom-line loss of -148% on sales […]