Richard Sackler, the former Chairman and President of Purdue Pharma, and Rhodes Pharmaceutical (a subsidiary of Purdue Pharma) have been awarded a patent for treatment of opioid use disorder, the disorder the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma knowingly fueled along with overdose, death and family tragedy.

At a minimum the patent should serve the public good and provide no economic benefit to the Sackler Family.

The patent petition ignores Purdue Pharma’s role and responsibility for creating the need for the invention. The application for the patent (Patent no. 9861628) includes the following:

“Chronic pain, which may be due to idiopathic reasons, cancer or other diseases such as rheumatism and arthritis, is typically treated with strong opioids.

“Thus, if opioids are taken by healthy human subjects with a drug seeking behavior they may lead to psychological as well as physical dependence.”

“One of the fundamental problems of illicit drug use by drug addicts (“junkies”) who are dependent on the constant intake of illegal drugs such as heroin is the drug related criminal activities resorted to by such addicts in order to raise enough money to fund their addiction.”

Outrageous, dishonest and lacking any acknowledgement of responsibility for fueling the opioid epidemic thru deceptive marketing and promotion of Sackler products.

FDA approval of a product made through this patent and a company (Rhodes) set up to obscure the Sackler connection would allow the Sackler family to reap more profits from a treatment for the epidemic caused by Sackler family products.

We cannot allow this to happen. 

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