Trending News Today: Abuse-Resistant Painkiller Can Still Cause Problems

The California Senate recently rejected a bill that would force physicians to alert their patients if they were on probation for a serious offense, Kaiser Health News reported. Advocates of the bill said rejecting the bill could potentially put these patients in danger since they could be unaware of any charges against the physician. However, critics of the bill said this information is available online and it would restrict the physicians’ business.

The FDA recently found that Pfizer Inc’s opioid painkiller, Troxyca ER, can still be abused despite claims that the drug deters addiction. The drug contains naltrexone, which can stop the effect of oxycodone if the pills are crushed. However, the FDA found that oxycodone can be extracted using certain solvents, according to Reuters. Pfizer claimed in its briefing documents that it could be extracted using only 1 solvent, but the FDA found that multiple common solvents could be used.

Genentech and OSI Pharmaceuticals LLC agreed to pay $67 million to quiet allegations that they mislead physicians and patients about how effectively their drug Tarceva treated non-small cell lung cancer. This occurrence is said to have happened between 2006 and 2011. According to Reuters, the companies will pay the federal government $62.6 million and Medicaid $4.4 million.