U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers are praising the Food and Drug Administration's decision requiring generic versions of OxyContin to be tamper-resistant.
The move means generic versions of the popular painkiller, which is often used by drug addicts, will be based on formulations that make it harder to crush. Addicts often crush the pills to be able to inject them. The two Kentucky Republicans praised the decision in statements Tuesday.
The FDA says it would not approve any generic versions of OxyContin based on the original formulation because it "poses an increased potential for certain types of abuse." The FDA decision effectively protects manufacturer Purdue Pharma LP from lower-price competition by requiring generic manufacturers to develop their own abuse-deterrent designs. The original patent was set to expire Tuesday.
