Previously Prominent Pain Doctor Stoops To Hawking Book

(Yet Mum On Conflicts Of Interest)

Opioids for Chronic Pain – An Interview with Dr. Webster, Pain Guru

http://brainblogger.com/2015/01/30/opioids-for-chronic-pain-an-interview-with-dr-webster-pain-guru/

There is debate about whether all extended-release formulations should have abuse-deterrent properties. I personally believe that the FDA should set a deadline for when all ER formulations must meet a minimum standard of abuse-deterrent properties to remain on the market. If this were to occur, the cost of ER formulations would likely increase, but this may be a reasonable trade-off for potentially safer products…

Sure, the cost of drugs have already increased, why not make them even more expensive? This would guarantee a decrease in patients asking for extended release pain medications; Express Scripts would move these drugs up to an unaffordable tier so coverage would be almost non-existent; and then pain patients would be asking for Dr. Webster’s new drug…

Webster: The future of opioid research is exciting. In the not-too-distant future we should be able to replace the current mu agonists with opioids that are not nearly as addictive or associated with the same magnitude of adverse effects. This is a field that is only beginning to produce candidates for further development, but there is real optimism and hope that we will one day have a class of opioid drugs that is closer to the Holy Grail of powerful analgesics without addictive properties than anyone could have dreamed possible…

The future of opioid research is only exciting to those with a financial and vested interest in the outcomes of current research, including Dr. Webster.  I have no problem with research on the “Holy Grail” of powerful analgesics, but if he thinks his product (CR845 — see my post “FDA Zeros In on Abuse-Deterrent Opioids”) fits this description, then he’s either being overly enthusiastic or just plain wrong.

Under comments:

Peter Western • 10 hours ago
There are pain relief alternatives to drugs. I have used wheat cushions…

Here, have a heating pad for your chronic pain… Do they have full-body heating pads?  And how would I move around while using a heating pad (let alone a full-body one)?