Despite the ongoing opioid crisis plaguing the nation, the US Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a new opioid medication five to 10 times more powerful than fentanyl.
Dsuvia, made by AcelRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., is a tablet in a single-dose, prefilled applicator to be administered under the tongue by health care providers to patients in settings such as hospitals, surgical centers and emergency rooms, according to the company.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb was quick to defended the approval in a statement Friday: “The agency is taking new steps to more actively confront this crisis, while also paying careful attention to the needs of patients and physicians managing pain.”
But the criticism was quick. “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recklessly and needlessly endangering people by approving a super-strong opioid,” a statement from the public advocacy group Public Citizen said in response to the approval. The group noted that Dsuvia is five to 10 times more powerful than fentanyl and 1,000 times more potent than morphine. – READ MORE