Pelican Parts Forums - How Oxycontin Took Over

Pelican Parts Forums (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/)

- Off Topic Discussions (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/)

- - How Oxycontin Took Over (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1127190-how-oxycontin-took-over.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geneman (Post 11809718)

One of the absolute BIGGEST failures of biomedical research for the last 30-40 years is the total inability to come up with a non narcotic solution to chronic ( and acute pain) that is non addictive and has none of the GI and CNS side effects of narcotics,. Compared to our huge advances in many diseases, this is an abject failure both of focus and expertise to take it on... ( notwithstanding political will) The major pain signal transduction pathways, receptors, nerve efferent and afferents have been well known for 50 years! Big pharma is to blame also as they would rather one of their most reliable cash cows to not go away.... its astounding

That's not the only failure... Recent antibiotics that aren't isomers of current stuff?

This is the first Joe Rogan episode I have ever watched or listened to. I can’t do it.

Hmmm. I smell bull5hit.

One can not extend a patent by reapplying. One can not get a patent by combining 2 known solutions to a problem already in the prior art.

The head of the FDA (name unknown but it’s all documented) met them at a hotel after hours… and helped them fill out the forms… yah, sure. It he said it’s all documented so it must be true.

I hate crap like this where some supposed expert perpetrates myths on a platform like Rogan.

I got the same feeling about that guy.

This is worth a watch. I believe it is 2 episodes.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SkU75sBdjdU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I had a 3 level cervical dissection and fusion in 2019. I was on a morphine drip for 36hrs and when discharged given a script for a load of oxy. I took 3 half pills over the next 2 days and then switched to Tylenol. No way was I going to keep taking them, hated it.

BTW they gave me oxy when I had arthroscopic knee surgery and when I had 2 separate perianal fistula surgeries. Never took them. I brought back 4 bottles of oxy pills to my pharmacy for proper disposable.

I have arthritis from my head to my toes and have mid back pain everyday. They gave me Tramadol a few years ago. never took one. Tylenol and tolerance. I'm terrified of oxy, I have seen what it did to a guy at work. Watch Dopesick on Hulu......what a bunch of azzhats.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NY65912 (Post 11809938)

I had a 3 level cervical dissection and fusion in 2029. I was on a morphine drip for 36hrs and when discharged given a script for a load of oxy. I took 3 half pills over the next 2 days and then switched to Tylenol. No way was I going to keep taking them, hated it.

BTW they gave me oxy when I had arthroscopic knee surgery and when I had 2 separate perianal fistula surgeries. Never took them. I brought back 4 bottles of oxy pills to my pharmacy for proper disposable.

I have arthritis from my head to my toes and have mid back pain everyday. They gave me Tramadol a few years ago. never took one. Tylenol and tolerance. I'm terrified of oxy, I have seen what it did to a guy at work. Watch Dopesick on Hulu......what a bunch of azzhats.

From da future!

I'm in the same boat. last spine surgery I had a fentanyl pump. Did nothing and pushed hydromorphone every few hours. What a **** show.

IMHO the opiates don't take away the pain. They just get you plastered with euphoria; You feel the pain but don't care about the pain because you feel so goooooood....

Interesting.......................I saw this unfold in the Northern Va area to what seemed like a 'cottage' industry where doctors started to specialize in pain management, then went on to open brick and mortar facilities dealing exclusively with that. First noted a problem in 1998 or so when a small private pharmacy in Mclean, Va (very affluent area) - connected to local physician who was essentially 'over prescribing' Oxy in both number and MG's to his patients and wrote the scripts only to be filled there.

Wasn't too long that the doctor was on trial, as the Pharmacist lost his license and shuttered their doors. I remember it seemed to only make the local newspaper........

I had several long-time friends, one of which was essentially a professional pill-head that latched onto these as soon as they hit the market. Suddenly pain management 'clinics' were everywhere and no shortage of 'patients' as I believe medical insurance covered all of that from A to Z.

But it seemed the Feds started concentrating on the end game; watching the pharmacies, then tracing back to the 'doctor'. Specifically a pharmacy in a tiny town, nearby where I used to live.
The pharmacist was a close family friend and the short story is he essentially became the 'dealer' for Oxy; filling any prescription, from any 'doctor, from anywhere. Bypassing and waiting for the local 'doctors' to send him the script requests. That pharmacy ultimately became on of THE largest distributors of OxyContin in the Mid-Atlantic region. People would drive there from Ohio, Md, DC, West Va, etc. with a 'prescription' written on anything from just short of a 3M sticky note to something that casually resembled a genuine script pad.

The Feds had been watching him for some time, gathering information and was just about to close in when he went in for what was supposed to be routine surgery, developed an aneurism and died on the table. If he lived he would have died in prison. How do I know all this? My brother in-law had retired as chief of police and was working there part-time to supplement his health insurance, saw it all go down.

I lost several of my friends to overdoses of Oxy that were young....................My pill-head friend overdosed several times, had to retire early from Verizon, and now at age 55 has health issues so bad he is basically confined to the couch or wheel-chair, diabetes, has had part of his foot cut-off, teeth rotted out, high blood pressure, on and on. Honestly he might as well already be dead as he is nothing but a shell of his former self living in a body that is essentially 80 years old now.

Interesting in that this morning I got a call from my DV friends daughter: His, Steve's, OT, (he passed out and broke his hip six weeks ago - all drug related, all prescription drugs) called the daughter and could not find my friend.

I run over.

His Jeep is gone. I give the OT the keys to the house just in case. I am not going in, not my deal. She goes in. He is not in the house.

She tries to apologize about not knowing about the car. What a nice lady. I reassure her that she did nothing wrong. I decide to drive to the Giant pharmacy because that is where he gets his prescriptions filled.

Nothing.

Then he calls...I see his name and pick up. It is a local Sheriff, however: "Can you come and get your friend? He drove himself here to the hospital after taking too much of something this morning and we can't let him drive. He tapped another car on the way in and then tried to get in the wrong car on the way out."

Be right there.

The Sheriff, and I am a homer for LE, was fantastic. He loved the Land Cruiser.

I get Steve in the LC and we do not talk the whole ride back to his place, 20 minute ride. If I say anything I'll just make it worse. He is completely gone in terms of cognitive awareness. He is a Naval Academy graduate, former Navy pilot and a very successful businessman.

Was. I did not go into his house with him. I have limits. I watched him take his walker in and close the door behind him.

I got the keys to the Jeep, called his daughter and updated her on the scourge that are whatever the f they let him take.

He is a junkie; hooked, bagged and tagged by people who should know better.

I got home 20 minutes ago and I still can't completely process what I saw.

Very sad. The pharmas knew what they were doing.

<iframe width="1038" height="584" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SkU75sBdjdU" title="The Crime of the Century (2021): Official Trailer | HBO" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Quote:

Originally Posted by NY65912 (Post 11810125)

Very sad. The pharmas knew what they were doing.

Of course they did.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FfI2iFvloso" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seahawk (Post 11810115)

Very sad to see someone with so much promise fall so far. But the tendency toward addiction can and does strike whoever with no rhyme or reason that I'm aware of. I'm curious if it's nature or nurture. I feel like it's likely mostly nature but probably could be some nurture as well.

My condolences to you and your friends family on the state of your friend.

Addiction is a hell of a thing, like cancer almost.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arizona_928 (Post 11809735)

Don't be a rube....
There's nothing cryptic in that response...

Now.
Fly fly fly

Fly fly fly

Keep digging, you will get there http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/lol2.gif

Very sad story, Paul. Thing is, could happen to any of us. So far, I've been blessed with only short term pain. Able to only use part of a prescription, then tough it out when the pain gets less.

Scares the krap out of me to think of what might happen should the pain be severe and long lasting.
There are things worse than death...a hopeless addiction is possibly one of them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclebilly (Post 11809776)

Hmmm. I smell bull5hit.

One can not extend a patent by reapplying. One can not get a patent by combining 2 known solutions to a problem already in the prior art.

I don't know the of this site or the article.

https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/blog/how-long-do-drug-patents-last/

Quote:

Patents filed since 1995 last for 20 years from the date of patent application filing. This is true for “utility” patents, but the terms for certain other, less common types of patents, are different.

The short answer to how long drug patents last is “twenty years.” It’s usually more complex than that, however.

Utility patents will last the full 20 years from the date of filing unless the patent is somehow found to be invalid or the inventor does not pay maintenance fees 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years after the original patent is granted.

Sometimes patent duration can be extended, and pharmaceutical companies, which make about 80% of their overall revenue because of their patents, often try to extend patent terms for as long as they can. Once drug patents fully expire, the way is paved for generic competitors to undercut prices significantly. Therefore, pharmaceutical manufacturers use many legal techniques for prolonging drug patents. Some of them are straightforward, while others are more complex and legally risky.

The Most Straightforward Way to Extend Drug Patents: The Hatch-Waxman Act

Drug manufacturers patent new compounds early in the drug research process to protect their intellectual property. However, since gaining FDA approval for a new drug can take far longer, their practical protection from competition on the market can end up only being a few years. The Hatch-Waxman Act was passed in 1984 to allow patent extensions of five years to make up for how long the FDA approval process is. This is great if a drug goes from conception to market in five or six years. But in reality, FDA approval can take much longer, and Hatch-Waxman grants five years regardless of how long FDA approval takes.

New Formulations, Administration Techniques, or Uses

Another relatively straightforward way drug companies can extend a patent is by reformulating a drug – often to simplify dosing or how it’s administered. Extended-release versions of drugs are common ways companies reformulate products, for example. New methods of administering drugs may mean taking a drug that was previously only available by injection (like migraine medication Imitrex used to be) and creating a nasal spray version. Dissolvable tablets that don’t have to be taken with water can help pharmaceutical companies extend patent protection too.

When a new use is discovered for a drug, it can earn an additional three years of protection under FDA rules. Suppose a drug designed to treat clinical depression was found to treat another disorder, like ADHD. In such cases, the drug can gain three additional years of patent protection under new use rules.

Reformulating a drug so it can be administered in a different form can confer longer patent protection.

Orphan Drug Exclusivity Periods

The Orphan Drug Act promotes the development of drugs to treat rare diseases (those that affect 200,000 or fewer people in the US). Under this law, drugs developed for rare diseases gain seven years of additional exclusivity on drug sales, and the FDA is blocked from approving any competing generics during this time. The purpose of orphan drug legislation is to help drug developers recoup the considerable costs of developing and marketing drugs which are never expected to have wide markets. Of course, this method of drug patent extension can’t be used by just anyone. It’s straightforward, but few drug manufacturers are able to take advantage of the protections orphan drug legislation offers.

Creative Legal Maneuvering Not Unheard Of

Sometimes, drug manufacturers go to extraordinary lengths to attempt to hold onto patent protection and keep generic competitors out of the market. One example is the maneuvering done by Allergan in a bid to protect its patent for dry eye medication Restasis. Allergan transferred patent rights for Restasis to a Native American tribal entity, the New York State Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, thus granting the patent sovereign immunity from being overturned. This tactic was struck down at the District Court level in 2017, with Federal Judge William Bryson decrying what he considered legal chicanery by Allergan.

There’s no question that drug development is remarkably expensive, and that the patent system is designed to help drug manufacturers recoup drug development costs. To that end, there are several methods drug makers can use to extend patents, with some being relatively straightforward and others being more complex. The bottom line is, determining when generics will reach the market is far more complex than calculating out 20 years from the date a pharmaceutical company patents a new compound, because many other factors can result in patent extensions.

But there seems to be other similar statements, but whether it's all from one statement that's been repeated over and over again, I have no idea.

https://academic.oup.com/jlb/article/5/3/590/5232981?login=false

https://undark.org/2021/06/16/how-patent-extensions-keep-some-drug-costs-high/

http://www.i-mak.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/I-MAK-Overpatented-Overpriced-Report.pdf

This sounds like the kind of thing that race teams do with race rules to win. I have no doubt that the same strategy would be performed in the pharma industry which is likely far more profitable than racing if it exists. And it seems that there's ALWAYS a loophole than can be used. Often, when one loophole is closed, another window is opened.

Quote:

Originally Posted by masraum (Post 11810157)

My condolences to you and your friends family on the state of your friend.

It is interesting in that we have been in this grinder for a few years and everyone is exhausted, his daughter, sisters other friends included

Junkies do what junkies do, legal or illegal drugs.

I just got off the phone with the daughter, a really fine young woman, friend of my son, who is growing up and meeting this challenge.

We have enough evidence now to make her the legal guardian and get him where he needs to be, assisted living. She will also become the executor of his very ample estate. Those wheels are in motion with her guiding the process as I have insisted.

I have his 997.1 and she wants me to have it for nothing. Nope. I told her the plan.

Let's wait. I now have two of his cars on my farm.

I write this because unless you live it, look at the husks that remain, it isn't really personal: Oxy, or whatever opioid, seems like Hillbilly heroin, a joke, until it affects your life.

I have many faults but I can say without reservation that missing the drug bus is the one virtue I am blessed with.

More of a fortunate roll of the genetic roulette than virtue

I was also blessed with a fortuitous choice of parents.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobra (Post 11810278)

I was also blessed with a fortuitous choice of parents.

You and me both, my friend.

so sorry Hawk..
watching one's friend drown is never easy..
some books are written...
no changing the chapters..
no matter how hard you want to..

Rika

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seahawk (Post 11810195)

I have many faults but I can say without reservation that missing the drug bus is the one virtue I am blessed with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobra (Post 11810278)

More of a fortunate roll of the genetic roulette than virtue

I was also blessed with a fortuitous choice of parents.

Me as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rikao4 (Post 11810361)

so sorry Hawk..
watching one's friend drown is never easy..
some books are written...
no changing the chapters..
no matter how hard you want to..

You’ll never know how much that means to me.

Bless you, Rika.