More Powerful Painkiller Has Experts Worried [View all]

[NashVegas]

Drug companies are working to develop a pure, more powerful version of the nation’s second-most-abused medicine, which has addiction experts worried that it could unleash a new wave of abuse.

The new pills contain the highly addictive painkiller hydrocodone, packing up to 10 times the amount of the drug as existing medications such as Vicodin. Four companies have begun patient testing, and one of them — Zogenix of San Diego — plans to apply early next year to begin marketing its product, Zohydro.

If approved, it would mark the first time patients could legally buy pure hydrocodone. Existing products combine the drug with nonaddictive painkillers such as acetaminophen.
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The companies say a pure hydrocodone pill would avoid liver problems linked to high doses of acetaminophen, an ingredient in products like Vicodin. They also say patients will be more closely supervised because, by law, they will have to return to their doctors each time they need more pills.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111227/NEWS07/312270018/More-powerful-painkiller-has-experts-worried

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Why should anyone delude themselves this is not being created specifically for the prescription-pill abuse market? How much Tylenol is a non-addict getting in the regular drug?