Introducing Addiction411: Online Tool to Educate the MySpace Generation About Opioid Addiction

- Pharmaceutical company partners with leading Internet community to

support people seeking information about dependence on opioid prescription

painkillers and heroin -

    RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Reckitt Benckiser
 Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announces the launch of Addiction411, the first-ever
 MySpace disease information Website developed to educate the public about
 dependence on opioids. Opioids include commonly prescribed painkillers such
 as oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and methadone as well as heroin.
     Addiction411 offers user-friendly information on:
 
     -- The dangers of misusing opioids and the red flags that may help
        identify addiction
     -- How recreational drug use can lead to addiction
     -- An interactive online addiction-identifier questionnaire
     -- Opioid addiction treatment options
     -- A physician locator to help people seeking office-based treatment for
        opioid dependence
     -- Other resources to find information and treatment.
     "We are proud to be the first pharmaceutical company to partner with
 MySpace to provide their members with vital healthcare information," said
 Shaun Thaxter, president of Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.,
 marketers of Suboxone. "Dependence on opioid painkillers and heroin is a
 major public health crisis, and the rise of MySpace as a leading online
 community makes it an ideal way to share important information about this
 hidden epidemic. Our hope is that providing the MySpace generation
 information on opioid dependence will help prevent them from becoming
 dependent, or will allow them to find appropriate medical help for
 themselves, their friends, or their families."
     In recent years, young people aged 16-25 have experienced a drastic
 increase in misuse of opioids, particularly prescription painkillers. Some
 six million Americans in all age groups, walks of life, and income brackets
 either misuse opioid painkillers or abuse heroin. Opioid dependence is
 recognized as a chronic brain disease by the World Health Organization and
 the National Institute for Drug Abuse.
     Addiction411 is the first time that MySpace members will have direct
 access to information about this increasingly prevalent disease and
 practical guidance on how to find treatment. In the case of opioid
 dependence and addiction, many people's reluctance to speak openly about
 their disease is a huge self-imposed barrier to finding treatment. The
 endorsement of the MySpace community of Addiction411 can help solve this
 problem and will serve as a model for future health-related information.
     Visit www.myspace.com/addiction411 if you or someone you know would
 like to access Addiction411.
     About Suboxone(R) Treatment for Opioid Dependence
     Suboxone(R) (buprenorphine HCl/naloxone HCl dihydrate) C-III Sublingual
 Tablets and Subutex(R) (buprenorphine HCl) C-III Sublingual Tablets are the
 only FDA-approved controlled medicines that can be prescribed by doctors in
 their offices and with take-home prescriptions, under special legislation.
 After opioid-dependent patients are initially inducted onto Suboxone(R) or
 Subutex(R), the medicine is prescribed in an office-based setting by
 certified doctors with monthly take-home prescriptions. Treatment with
 buprenorphine is attractive to many patients because of the privacy and
 convenience that office-based treatment offers.
     Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, which allows it to be used
 to treat opioid dependence for two critical reasons: first, it acts on the
 brain in a way similar to full opioid agonists (prescription opioid
 painkillers, heroin or methadone) to largely or entirely prevent cravings
 and withdrawal; and second, because it is a partial opioid agonist, it does
 not excite the same level of opioid-induced brain activity as full agonists
 do, and thus does not produce the maximal euphoric effect of a full
 agonist. Buprenorphine is sold under the brand names Suboxone(R) and
 Subutex(R) by Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
     Resources for Opioid Dependence and Its Treatment
     Individuals who need more information about opioid dependence and its
 treatment, either for themselves or for someone they are concerned about,
 have several options. Educational materials on opioid dependence are
 available to answer questions about this often-misunderstood disease and
 the treatments that are available for it. To receive a free educational
 Resource Kit on these topics, visit TurnToHelp.com or call 1-866-455-TURN,
 both provided by Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
     Additionally, the non-profit patient advocacy group NAABT - National
 Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment - is dedicated to helping
 educate the public on opioid dependence and treatment in a private doctor's
 office. NAABT offers a confidential nationwide matching service to pair
 individuals seeking buprenorphine treatment with available area physicians;
 visit naabt.org. SAMHSA's Web site also provides a physician locator and
 other valuable information at buprenorphine.samhsa.gov.
     About Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.
     Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical
 company that markets Suboxone(R) (buprenorphine HCl/naloxone HCl dihydrate
 [2 mg/0.5 mg and 8 mg/2 mg]) C-III Sublingual Tablets and Subutex(R)
 (buprenorphine HCl [2 mg and 8 mg]) C-III Sublingual Tablets, formulations
 of buprenorphine used to treat opioid dependence in a medical office-based
 setting. Suboxone and Subutex, manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare
 Ltd., are the only controlled medications under the Drug Addiction
 Treatment Act of 2000 approved by the FDA for office-based treatment of
 opioid dependence. Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. is committed to
 expanding access to medical therapies for patients suffering from the
 chronic, relapsing brain disease of opioid dependence. For more
 information, visit suboxone.com or opioiddependence.com. Reckitt Benckiser
 Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reckitt Benckiser PLC,
 a publicly traded UK firm.
     Important Safety Information
     SUBOXONE(R) (buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual tablets) is indicated
 for the treatment of opioid dependence. Buprenorphine, usually by the
 intravenous route, in combination with benzodiazepines or other CNS
 depressants has been associated with significant respiratory depression and
 death. SUBOXONE has potential for abuse and produces dependence of the
 opioid type with a milder withdrawal syndrome than full agonists. Cytolytic
 hepatitis and hepatitis with jaundice have been observed in the addicted
 population receiving buprenorphine. There are no adequate and well
 controlled studies of SUBOXONE (a Category C medication) in pregnancy.
 Caution should be exercised when driving cars or operating machinery.
 Always store buprenorphine containing medications safely and out of the
 reach of children and destroy any unused medication appropriately. The most
 commonly reported adverse events with SUBOXONE include headache (36%,
 placebo 22%), withdrawal syndrome (25%, placebo 37%), pain (22%, placebo
 19%), nausea (15%, placebo 11%), insomnia (14%, placebo 16%), and sweating
 (14%, placebo 10%). Please see full prescribing information for a complete
 list.
     Suboxone and Subutex are registered trademarks of Reckitt Benckiser
 Healthcare Ltd.
     Lindsay Treadway
     617-761-6738
     lindsay.treadway@fkhealth.com
 
 

SOURCE Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, Inc.