New Oxycontin Update

FDA approves reformulated OxyContin.
The Wall Street Journal (4/6, Dooren) reports that the FDA approved a new formulation of Purdue Pharma LP's painkiller OxyContin [oxycodone] that is designed to be harder to crush or dissolve. The active ingredient in the reformulated version is designed to turn into a gel when dissolved in liquid in order to prevent tampering.
Reuters (4/5) reported that the FDA said the reformulated OxyContin will probably prevent abuse by those who try to inhale or inject the drug, but people will still be able to misuse it by ingesting higher doses than are recommended. Still, Bob Rappaport, the FDA's director of the division of anesthesia and analgesia products, called the reformulation "a step in the right direction" in spite of the "incremental advantage over the current version of the drug" that it may provide. The CNN (4/5, Sloane) "Paging Dr. Gupta" blog also covered the story.