Dive Brief:
- Purdue Pharma’s Targiniq ER (naloxone/oxycodone) was developed in accordance with FDA draft guidance on abuse-deterrent opiods.
- Targiniq ER is intended only for patients who have no other effective treatment options.
- Targiniq ER has built-in naloxone, a drug that blocks the euphoric effects of oxycodone. The naloxone is unleashed when Targiniq ER is crushed, dissolved or injected.
Dive Insight:
According to the World Health Organization, approximately two million Americans are addicted to opiates, while the the Institute of Medicine estimates that 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Some of these patients have chronic pain that can only be alleviated with the sort of daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment that is ripe for abuse.
These individuals are ideal candidates for Targiniq ER, which is an extended-release, long-acting opioid analgesic. The idea is that patients should have access to effective pain relief without risking forming a deadly drug habit. Although Targiniq ER can still be abused orally, other popular methods of opioid abuse such as crushing, snorting, or dissolving and injecting are not possible with the drug.
Abuse and addiction-deterring painkillers such as Targiniq ER are likely to become increasingly popular in the face of America's burgeoning opioid epidemic, providing chronic pain patients with an effective, yet safe, treatment option.