FDA approves new opioid drug, despite concerns about potential abuse

[ucbalumnus]

https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2018/11/02/fda-dsuvia-fentanyl-approval/

@Ed Silverman in STAT

The drug is called Dsuvia, which is a tablet version of an opioid marketed for intravenous delivery, but is administered under the tongue using a specially developed, single-dose applicator. These “unique features” make the medicine well-suited for the military and therefore was a priority for the Pentagon, a point that factored heavily into the decision, according to FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.

Although doses of Dsuvia are supposed to be given only by medical workers and Dsuvia is not to be prescribed for home use, there is concern about diversion by medical workers. It is supposedly “10 times more powerful than fentanyl”.

[kelsmom]

What the heck?! My mind is already developing some conspiracy theories on this one.

[BunsenBurner]

If “diversion by medical workers” is a concern, it is not unique to this drug.

[greenwitch]

What could possibly go wrong?

[romanigypsyeyes]

“Gee, what can possibly go wrong with giving soldiers something experimental, powerful, and only available to them in the military?” - Officials during every modern war

“Well, let’s see, speed, LSD, heroin… whole generations lost to drug use…” - historians.

[Nrdsb4]

It is supposedly “10 times more powerful than fentanyl”.

OMG. And fentanyl is allegedly 100 times more potent than morphine.

[greenwitch]

Romani, probably the only good thing that the government experimented on with the military was giving them condoms before WWI. But then again, they also gave them cigarettes…

[roethlisburger]

“Gee, what can possibly go wrong with giving soldiers something experimental, powerful, and only available to them in the military?” - Officials during every modern war

“Well, let’s see, speed, LSD, heroin… whole generations lost to drug use…” - historians.

Only a totally ignorant historian would say that. Heroin was invented in 1874, its abuse long predates any modern wars, and was never only available in the military. LSD is not believed to be addictive and was never widely given to soldiers. There were plenty of crack psychiatrists who thought LSD could cure any number of conditions and plenty of anti-war hippies who distributed the stuff like candy. The only drug of the three widely prescribed to soldiers was amphetamines, and most soldiers kicked the habit quickly after they returned to the states.

[gouf78]

I’ll give you one more drug used by millitary first during WWII–penicillin. It was in very short supply so it was recovered from the urine of soldiers and purified to be re-injected.

[gouf78]

And while many may have been lost to drug use there have been way too many years lost with no research done on many of these drugs (including marijuana and LSD) because of hysteria over their use. It’s kept not only the possibility of viable alternatives from being discovered but also hampered research on addiction.