Pubdate: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 Source: The Herald-Sun (NC) Copyright: 2001 The Herald-Sun Contact: http://www.herald-sun.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1428 Author: Chris Kahn (AP) OXYCONTIN MAKER TRIES SAFEGUARD ROANOKE, Va. -- A senior medical official for drugmaker Purdue Pharma LP said Thursday the company is experimenting with a chemical safeguard to combat abuse of its potent painkiller OxyContin. Dr. J. David Haddox told a state task force on drug abuse that Purdue Pharma has been working to reformulate OxyContin with naloxone, which is used in Talwin NX and other painkillers. "This idea has sort of been on the shelf for a while," Haddox said. Since it was introduced in 1995, OxyContin has been blamed for more than 100 deaths nationwide, and addicts or street suppliers have robbed pharmacies to get at the drug. Purdue, based in Stamford, Conn., has been criticized by the Drug Enforcement Administration and others for not being more aggressive in reformulating its top-selling painkiller with naloxone when abuse became a problem. Naloxone, a narcotic antagonist, has been combined with other opiates since the 1980s to deter intravenous abusers. Purdue has said it decided against using naloxone because there were concerns it could induce withdrawal or create a "ceiling" effect. Such a drug would not increase in potency past a certain point, even if a patient takes higher and higher doses. On Thursday, Haddox contradicted earlier statements, saying a naloxone reformulation was in the works, and in fact it could be available sooner than another new formula Purdue announced earlier this month. That pill, which Purdue dubbed a "smart pill" has yet to be named and would not be available for at least three years. It would destroy its own narcotic ingredients if crushed into a powder and snorted or injected -- the typical manner in which OxyContin currently is abused. Haddox did not know if Purdue has applied for a patent on the reformulated drug, or how much progress company scientists have had in developing the naloxone formula. Other Purdue officials could not be reached Thursday for comment. At the task force meeting, law enforcement officials in some of Virginia's hardest hit areas said OxyContin abuse is leveling off. "Prices have gone up on the street," said Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons. "We're seeing more Lortabs and Tylox and other prescription drugs now. Some people just can't afford OxyContin." The task force -- comprised of police, prosecutors, doctors, pharmacists and lawmakers -- compiled a draft list of recommendations to further combat prescription drug abuse. The list includes a prescription monitoring program, distribution of tamper-resistant prescription pads to doctors and fingerprinting kits to pharmacists. While some parts of Virginia have had success combating OxyContin and oxycodone abuse, Attorney General Randolph A. Beales said it remains a challenge nationally. "It's now going everywhere," said Beales, who recently attended a national meeting on prescription drug abuse. "It's spreading into the Midwest and the far West." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom