Rolley "Ed" Johnson, vice president for scientific and regulatory affairs of Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, Inc., responded in writing to some of the The Sun's findings about misuse of buprenrophine, a drug made by the company to treat opiate dependence.
Here is an excerpt of his Dec. 13, 2007 statement:
We are totally committed to reducing the harm of this devastating and misunderstood disease state, and to helping as many individuals as possible into successful, long-term treatment. To this end, we have worked closely with the government, the addiction medical societies, and key thought leaders in the field of addiction to bring this medical treatment forward for the millions of everyday Americans who need treatment.
For many opioid-dependent patients (though not all), treatment with buprenorphine is an effective medical treatment option, especially when it is combined with necessary psychosocial support and counseling. Since the U.S. launch of Suboxone in early 2003, hundreds of thousands of addicted Americans have been successfully treated with the medication and have been able to improve the quality of their lives, and to reconnect with their families, careers, and communities as they remain in long-term recovery.
Our objective is for buprenorphine treatment to be a powerful intervention to what has become a public health threat.
Certainly we as individuals and as a company are concerned about any possible misuse and/or diversion of our products, and from the beginning have worked to establish mechanisms that enable us to work with the government, law enforcement, and indeed the clinical community to curb the likelihood and extent of such illegal activity. You are familiar with the extensive risk management program that has been in place since product launch and that has been expanded each year since its inception and, as you know, we work actively with appropriate parties in response to whatever issues this monitoring uncovers.
Additionally, the company has made and continues to make significant investments in creating an abuse-resistant distribution network. We also have and continue to maintain a proactive and open communication with our physician base to educate them as to their role in minimizing potential diversion and misuse.
The company's extensive and ongoing additional financial investments were anticipated at the outset as part of the cost of doing business in a disease…that is as highly stigmatized and inherently risky as addiction treatment. Any treatment of this type will carry an additional corporate burden; the patient population is at higher risk of misuse and/or diversion by the very nature of their chronic medical condition, and one must have realistic expectations.
But despite the risks, it is a testament to the value of this medical treatment that the vast majority of patients are receiving a safe and effective, FDA-approved treatment for a condition (and a social public health threat) that has defied so many previous attempts to overcome it ... .
I congratulate you on the public good that your articles will surely bring to the many people who are seeking answers and treatment, either for themselves or for someone they love caught in the mesh of opioid dependence and addiction. It is my sincere hope that the spotlight you are shining on this disease will help to dispel some of the myths around it, reinforce its medical nature, reduce stigma, and show a way toward treatment for people seeking to break its grip.