The FDA has announced a far-reaching action plan to reassess the agency’s approach to opioid medications. The plan will focus on policies aimed at reversing the epidemic, while still providing patients in pain access to effective relief.
Importantly, the FDA’s strategies and tactics are not adverse to the well-being of pain patients and avoid measures (such as mandatory advisory committees for abuse deterrent formulations) that would have the negative consequence of chilling investment in the science of abuse deterrence.
The FDA will:
• Re-examine the risk-benefit paradigm for opioids and ensure that the agency considers their wider public health effects;
• Convene an expert advisory committee before approving any new drug application for an opioid that does not have abuse-deterrent properties;
• Assemble and consult with the Pediatric Advisory Committee regarding a framework for pediatric opioid labeling before any new labeling is approved;
• Develop changes to immediate-release opioid labeling, including additional warnings and safety information that incorporate elements similar to the extended-release/long-acting (ER/LA) opioid analgesics labeling that is currently required;
• Update Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy requirements for opioids after considering advisory committee recommendations and review of existing requirements;
• Expand access to, and encourage the development of, abuse-deterrent formulations of opioid products;
• Improve access to naloxone and medication-assisted treatment options for patients with opioid use disorders; and
• Support better pain management options, including alternative treatments.
As one of the cornerstones of this plan, the FDA will seek guidance from outside experts in the fields of pain management and drug abuse. For example, the FDA has already asked the National Academy of Medicine to help develop a framework for opioid review, approval and monitoring that balances individual need for pain control with considerations of the broader public health consequences of opioid misuse and abuse.
“We are determined to help defeat this epidemic through a science-based and continuously evolving approach,” said
Per Rob Califf, the FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco “This plan contains real measures this agency can take to make a difference in the lives of so many people who are struggling under the weight of this terrible crisis.”
In addition, the FDA will convene independent advisory committees made up of physicians and other experts when considering for approval any new opioid drugs that do not contain abuse-deterrent properties. The FDA will also convene a meeting of its standing Pediatric Advisory Committee to make recommendations regarding a framework for pediatric opioid labeling and use of opioid pain medications in the pediatric population.
The FDA is also strengthening the requirements for drug companies to generate postmarket data on the long-term impact of using ER/LA opioids. The agency expects this to result in the most comprehensive data ever collected in the field of pain medicine and treatments for opioid use disorder. The data will further the understanding of the known serious risks of opioid misuse, abuse, overdose and death.
The FDA’s full announcement can be found here.
