Drug News and Discussions

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FDA approves over-the-counter sales of lifesaving opioid overdose treatment Narcan nasal spray
Source: CNBC
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved sales without a prescription of the nasal spray Narcan to reverse opioid overdoses, a decision that promises to significantly expand access to the lifesaving treatment.

The FDA’s decision means people will be able to buy the 4 milligram nasal spray in supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations, vending machines and online. Emergent BioSolutions , the manufacturer, has said Narcan should be available without a prescription by late summer.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf, in a statement, said the agency is encouraging the company to make the nasal spray as widely available as possible at an affordable price.

Narcan reverses fatal overdoses by blocking the effect that opioids have on the nervous system. The nasal spray must be administered as soon as an overdose is suspected.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/29/opioids ... rcan-.html
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caltrek
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Pfizer Spends Big on IP Lobbying With Billions on the Line
by Walker Bragman
March 9, 2023

Introduction:
(Sludge) Last year, as it was raking in cash from its COVID vaccine and newly authorized oral treatment Paxlovid, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer spent big bucks to safeguard its intellectual property (IP), federal lobbying disclosures reveal. The nearly $900,000 lobbying tab came amid a global fight over how best to ensure fair access to COVID tools like vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics.

Uneven distribution of such tools has been an ongoing problem throughout the pandemic, which has killed more than six million people worldwide by official numbers. Estimates of its true death toll, however, range into the tens of millions. Wealthier nations have hoarded critical supplies while lower-income countries in the Global South have struggled with procurement.

One solution that has gained traction at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) is an intellectual property waiver for COVID tools. The idea has faced stiff opposition from the pharmaceutical industry. Pfizer in particular has long been lobbying to stave off any such waiver.

The company’s spending on the issue through last year, including $140,000 in the fourth quarter alone, shows how significant and persistent a threat those global discussions are to its bottom line and provides insight into how the pharmaceutical giant has prioritized profits over global equity and human lives.

Global Battle For Equity

Efforts to address intellectual property barriers to equitable delivery of COVID tools go all the way back to October 2020. That month, the governments of India and South Africa proposed a Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver at the WTO. The proposal, which had the support of 62 member states and more than 100 low-income nations, was expansive. It would have temporarily waived intellectual property protections for COVID technologies including vaccines, diagnostic kits, personal protective equipment, ventilators, preventative medicines, and treatments.

Read more here: https://readsludge.com/2023/03/09/pfiz ... the-line/
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"Over 246 million Americans have legal access to some form of marijuana products with high THC levels. Looking to the future, many new cannabis markets are expected to open up in the next few years."

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/us-can ... line-2023/


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Cannabis is ‘industry of the future’ that will create jobs – Tory MP

19 hours ago

Medical cannabis is an “industry of the future” with the potential of creating thousands of jobs in rural areas if properly supported by the Government, a Tory former cabinet minister has said.

David Mundell urged ministers to have a “much more coordinated and focused approach” when it comes to supporting the medical cannabis sector, which he described as “huge” and “growing”.

In an interview with the PA news agency, the Tory MP said he is not “advocating for legalisation of recreational use”, but simply wants to highlight “the opportunities that flow from the growing and manufacturing of medical cannabis-related products”.

Cannabis in the UK is illegal for recreational use and is classified as a Class B drug, whereas medical use of cannabis, when prescribed by a registered specialist doctor, was legalised in November 2018.

However, according to the NHS, very few people are likely to get a prescription for medical cannabis.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/heal ... 23734.html
weatheriscool
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Newsom sending National Guard to San Francisco to disrupt fentanyl trafficking
San Francisco has struggled to stem its fentanyl crisis, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to direct the state National Guard and California Highway Patrol to join the city's efforts to fight fentanyl trafficking.

"Two truths can co-exist at the same time: San Francisco’s violent crime rate is below comparably sized cities like Jacksonville and Fort Worth — and there is also more we must do to address public safety concerns, especially the fentanyl crisis," said Newsom on Friday.

The state will expand its law enforcement presence around the city in hopes of mitigating crimes linked to the fentanyl epidemic and, hopefully, reducing the number of overdoses from the powerful synthetic opioid.

"Our Police Department and District Attorney have been partnering to tackle this issue and increase enforcement, but our local agencies can use more support," Mayor London Breed said in a statement. "With the Governor’s leadership and clear direction, our state enforcement agencies can partner with us to make a difference for our residents, businesses, and workers who are living with the impacts every day."
https://www.ktvu.com/news/newsom-sendin ... rafficking
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Delaware becomes latest state to legalize recreational marijuana

APRIL 24, 2023

Recreational marijuana is now legal in Delaware.

While some believe this will bring in a lot of "green" for the state, not everyone is on board, including the governor.

Legal marijuana was the talk of the Wilmington riverfront Sunday morning

"People need a choice and I believe in marijuana," Troy Fletcher said.

"I just don't think there are benefits of legalizing it," Revekah Cosby said.

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/ne ... ion-bills/
weatheriscool
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Minnesota House passes recreational marijuana bill in vote of 71-59
minnesota
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/ ... uana-bill/
By WCCO Staff, Caroline Cummings

Updated on: April 25, 2023 / 2:36 PM / CBS Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota House on Tuesday passed a 300-page bill that would allow adults 21 and older to buy, sell and use marijuana, joining nearly two dozen other states that have legalized the cannabis plant for recreational use.

It passed Tuesday afternoon on 71-59 vote, with two Republicans joining all but one Democrat in supporting the proposal. Lawmakers started debating it Monday night before adjourning and resuming discussion the next day.
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Minnesota Senate passes marijuana legalization bill

The Minnesota Senate cast its first-ever vote to legalize recreational marijuana on Friday, pushing the proposal closer to becoming law than ever before.

Senators passed the DFL-led marijuana bill on a 34-33 vote, with all Democrats voting for it and all Republicans opposing it. The House approved its marijuana bill on Tuesday. Both the House and Senate bills now head to a conference committee where their differences will be reconciled into a final version.
https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-s ... 600270909/
weatheriscool
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FDA advisors recommend sale of birth control pill without a prescription

Source: CNBC

A panel of experts who advise the Food and Drug Administration unanimously recommended Wednesday that the agency for the first time allow women to obtain a birth control pill without a prescription. The panel had been asked whether the benefits of selling HRA Pharma’s birth control pill Opill outweighed the risks of consumers improperly using the medication resulting in unintended pregnancy.

The FDA is not obligated to follow the recommendations of its independent advisors, all 17 of whom voted “yes” on the proposal after a two-day hearing. But HRA Pharma expects a final decision by the FDA this summer on its application for non-prescription sales of Opill, which is generically called norgestrel. The Paris-based drugmaker is owned by Perrigo, a manufacturer of over-the-counter drugs.

Since they were approved in the United States more than 60 years ago, oral contraceptives have only been available to women with a prescription for their use. If the FDA approves HRA Pharma’s application, women could obtain Opill without first having to visit a doctor or other health-care provider.

“The history of women’s contraception is a struggle for women’s control over their reproduction, and we need to trust women,” said Dr. Katalin Roth, a member of the FDA advisory panel, and a professor of medicine at George Washington University. “I urge the FDA to approve over-the-counter availability of Opill,” Roth said, in explaining her vote in favor of HRA Pharma’s application.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/10/birth-c ... ption.html
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Recreational marijuana bill on edge of becoming Minnesota law
Minnesota stood on the edge of joining the nearly two dozen states with legal marijuana after the House voted 73-57 Thursday night to pass the final version of an adult-use cannabis bill. A Senate vote is expected to follow shortly.

It’s a monumental shift in drug policy, even though people on both ends of the debate acknowledged that use is prevalent despite its status as illegal now.

Rep. Patricia Mueller, R-Austin, who opposed the bill when a version initially passed in the House last month, said she had come around to backing it despite having continued reservations.

“The people who care about it, they really care about it. And the people who are against it are really against it,” said Mueller. “But the people who are like me, this why this bill makes it difficult, because there's so many places in it that are very good. I'm very open to the idea. I have just a couple of concerns.”
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/05/1 ... nesota-law
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