FDA approves yet another strong opioid-based drug

November 14, 2018

Amid an ongoing opioid epidemic, the US Food and Drug Administration has authorized the use of a new powerful opioid drug Dsuvia. According to medical experts, Dsuvia is 10 times stronger than a widely popular opioid formula Fentanyl.

The primary constituent of Dsuvia is sufentanil. It is a highly potent intravenous painkiller that has been in use for decades. The new formulation of sufentanil (Dsuvia) is in tablet form, which is orally administered through a single-use applicator.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has issued a statement about the drug, making it clear that it has been approved for use by medical professionals only. The drug will only be available in healthcare settings such as hospitals, surgical establishments, and emergencies and can only be administered under the supervision of professionals.

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The FDA has tried its best to ensure that the newly approved drug will not add fuel to the already enraging opioid crisis. The authority has categorically mentioned that Dsuvia will not be available at pharmacies. In addition, medical professionals won’t provide more than a single dose of the drug to any patient within 72 hours.

According to Gottlieb, the drug has been primarily designed for cases where the intravenous administration of painkillers is not possible. The Department of Defense has also been on board all through the development of the drug. It is being said that Dsuvia will be used as an instant painkiller for medical treatments performed in battlefields.

Medical professionals warn of potential abuse

Many medical experts have shown their concerns over the approval of yet another opioid by the FDA. Dr. Anna Lembke is the head of Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnostic Clinic at Stanford University. According to her, there is no need for approving such a strong formulation when there are already many opioids available in the market. Dr. Lembke is also of the belief that the FDA is operating in a vacuum, and remain oblivious to the fact that the country is in the middle of a deadly opioid crisis.

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It is an unfortunate reality that even the already available opioids are not effectively regulated and controlled by the relevant authorities. For that matter, one can’t rely on all the assurances given by the FDA regarding the regulation of Dsuvia at the moment since it is pretty common for people to get their hands on opioids by getting around all such regulations.

Opioid, marijuana and pain relief

Opioid prescriptions are primarily given to treat conditions of chronic pain. However, the addictive attribute of opioid is a big downside of such drugs. Many patients with regular use of opioid painkillers become addicted to the substance. On the other hand, marijuana also offers pain relief with its cannabinoid constituents of THC and CBD, and without the detrimental side effect of substance abuse. For that matter, a few MMJ legal states, which are experiencing a growing number of opioid-related deaths and substance abuse cases, have approved medical cannabis as an alternative to opioid prescriptions.

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