FDA panel says no to pain drug expansion
Fentora (fentanyl tablets) is a medication that was approved in 2006 to treat patients with cancer who are living with severe chronic pain. The company that manufactures Fentora had applied to the FDA to allow the medication be prescribed to treat noncancer chronic pain.
According to the article, FDA Panel Rejects Wider Use of Painkiller, up to 80% of Fentora prescriptions are already being written for people with noncancer chronic pain.
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POSTED IN: Cancer, Chronic Pain, Medications, News, Pain Management
2 opinions for FDA panel says no to pain drug expansion
stacy
May 16, 2008 at 7:04 pm
I was on the trial for this and am so disappointed in the FDA’s decision. I have chronic non-cancer pain and was looking forward to this medication being approved. The one thing that boggles my mind are all of the people on this off label - how are they paying for it??? Insurance won’t pay for it unless you have cancer… and I think it’s over $130 for one pack of 6 pills. I really think this is a bad decision by the FDA.. if the drug was approved, at least they could monitor patients who are on it…. it seems like this is putting the doctors who prescribe it off label at risk, as well. My doctor was livid at this decision. He told me that this was yet another decision by the government that didn’t allow doctors to do what was best for the patient.
Marijke Durning, RN
May 16, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Oh Stacy, I can’t imagine your disappointment. Fentanyl is a very pricey drug and you make an excellent point.
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