Patient Testimony Highlights Difficulties Of Pain Drug Development, US FDA Regulation Of Opioids

At patient-focused drug development meeting, many patients explained that opioids gave them functionality versus side effects such as suicidal ideation and fatigue that come with other treatments.

US FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has positioned combatting opioid epidemic as a top priority during his tenure as head of the agency, but testimony from chronic pain patients shed light on how difficult it is for both drugmakers to develop alternative treatments and for FDA to best regulate opioid use.

Speaking at a July 9 meeting about patient-focused drug development for chronic pain, several patient speakers shared anecdotes decrying the...

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