Orexo Applauds Historic Signing of Landmark Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act

News provided by

Jul 25, 2016, 11:29 ET

MORRISTOWN, N.J., July 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Orexo US, Inc. applauds the historic signing of the Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA), S.524. CARA will play a critical role in addressing the growing epidemic of opioid addiction by empowering nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) to prescribe medication-assisted treatment (MAT). We appreciate Congress and the Administration taking this significant step forward to improve the opportunity for patients to access life-saving prevention measures and treatments.

"On July 6, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announcement raised the patient cap from 100 to 275 for qualified physicians. Now CARA will increase access to life-saving treatment by allowing NPs and PAs to prescribe MAT for those who suffer from opioid dependence," said Robert A. DeLuca, President of Orexo US, Inc. "We are excited to partner with NPs and PAs to further advance the quality care they provide to patients. Adding to the pool of qualified practitioners marks significant progress; we look forward to continuing our work with all stakeholders to improve patient care in the fight against the epidemic of opioid addiction."

Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999,¹ and so have sales of these prescription drugs.² From 1999 to 2014, more than 165,000 people have died in the U.S. from overdoses related to prescription opioids.¹ Opioid prescribing continues to fuel the epidemic. Today, at least half of all U.S. opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid.¹ In 2014, more than 14,000 people died from overdoses involving prescription opioids. Among those who died from prescription opioid overdose between 1999 and 2014 rates were highest among people aged 25 to 54 years.³

Overdose is not the only risk related to prescription opioids. Misuse, abuse, and opioid use disorder (addiction) are also potential dangers. In 2014, almost 2 million Americans abused or were dependent on prescription opioids.⁴ As many as 1 in 4 people who receive prescription opioids long term for non-cancer pain in primary care settings struggles with addiction.⁵ Every day, over 1,000 people are treated in emergency departments for misusing prescription opioids.⁶

About Orexo

Orexo is a specialty pharmaceutical company with global headquarters and R&D based in Uppsala, Sweden and a commercial subsidiary based in Morristown, New Jersey. Orexo's share are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Exchange Mid Cap (STO: ORX) and is available as ADRs on OTCQX (ORXOY) in the US. www.orexo.com

^1.CDC. Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). Atlanta, GA: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; 2016. Available at http://wonder.cdc.gov (http://wonder.cdc.gov/).
^2. Frenk SM, Porter KS, Paulozzi LJ. Prescription opioid analgesic use among adults: United States, 1999–2012. NCHS data brief, no 189. Hyattsville,MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2015.10.1093/aje/kwt333. Epub 2014 Feb 1112.)
^3.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Multiple Cause of Death 1999-2014 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released 2015. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2014, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html (http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcdicd10.html).
^4.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2014.
^5. Boscarino JA, Rukstalis M, Hoffman SN, et al. Risk factors for drug dependence among out-patients on opioid therapy in a large US health-care system. Addiction 2010;105:1776–82. http://dx.doi. org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03052.
^6.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Highlights of the 2011 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) findings on drug-related emergency department visits. The DAWN Report. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2013. Available from URL: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/2k13/DAWN127/sr127-DAWN-highlights.htm