In Midst Of Opioid Crisis, FDA May Block New Addiction Drug From Market
A quirk in the law gives an older opioid addiction treatment "orphan drug" status — and a period of exclusive market access. That may prevent some new therapies from reaching patients for years.
More than 130 people in the U.S. die of an opioid overdose every day. One of the most effective ways to save lives is to get those struggling with addiction treated with medication to stop their cravings. But a loophole in federal law might block at least one new opioid-addiction drug from coming to market for years.
Many patients have to try several medications before finding one that works for them and that they can stick with.
"It's important to have multiple different treatment options for different patients, different circumstances," says Carolyn Bogdon, a family nurse practitioner and director of the medication-assisted treatment program at the Medical University of South Carolina in
