Actiq Lollipop Attorneys
The painkilling lollipop, Actiq, is man-made opiate approved to treat
chronic pain in cancer patients who are already on an opiate drug and
their pain cannot be relieved. But a recent study by Prime Therapeutics
found that Cephalon Inc. has been marketing this drug to doctors and they
have been prescribing off-label for unapproved uses which is illegal.
Actiq is only FDA approved for the management of pain in cancer patients
who are already being treated with opioids because life-threatening conditions
can occur at any dose in patients without a built-up tolerance for opioids.
Even with these warnings, doctors are prescribing this drug to their
patients who do not have cancer. A research firm suggested that, between
June 2005 and October 2006, more than 80 percent of patients prescribed
Actiq did not have cancer. Instead, it has been prescribed for non-approved
uses such as migraine and back aches.
Actiq is administered either by lollipop, transdermal patches or injection.
The drug is highly addictive, being 100 or more times more powerful than
morphine, making it the drug of choice for pain relief in many sufferers
and also drug of choice for non-patients: it is much more potent than
heroin. Many cases of Actiq abuse have been reported and many people have
overdosed.
Actiq has been linked in the last few years to hundreds of overdose deaths
around the country, particularly in Michigan, Florida and Illinois. Cephalon
Inc. has reported 127 deaths in patients taking Actiq. An additional 91
serious, non-fatal, injuries have also been reported to the FDA, ranging
from respiratory distress to severe dehydration. Actiq is a very dangerous
drug. It can easily be abused, both legally and illicitly. Off-label prescription
abuse is just as dangerous as and much more common than purchasing the
drug on the streets.
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