Sources have been abuzz talking about a new pain pill that got some Internet press thanks to CBS. This new drug Zohydro with combining the word “Zo” with the first part of a powerful opiate called hydrocodone - "Zohydro" is a 12 hour Time Release Hydrocodone capsule and comes in 10MG, 20MG, 30MG, 40MG and 50MG capsules.
"I have a big concern that this could be the next OxyContin," said April Rovero, president of the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse. "We just don't need this on the market."
Oxycodone is the main (and only) ingredient in Oxycontin that has become the new opiate addiction market. Oxycontin’s extreme bad public relations forced it to change its strength and name to “Roxycontin” that only comes in 30mg instead of 80mg. Regardless, all Oxycodone is a schedule II narcotic. This is a step-down from heroin and cocaine and sadly marijuana as Schedule I. Now, in Schedule II you find your strong opiates (such as oxycodone(contin) and barbiturates. Schedule III, a step-down; contains weaker drugs such as Hydrocodone. When you hear hydrocodone think “Lortab, Vicodin”. Schedule IV ironically contain all of your Benzodiazepines (think Valium and Xanax) that are responsible for nearly 70% of all drug overdoses but somehow they lobbied Xanax down to Schedule IV.
The San Diego Company Zogenix plans hopes to begin marketing its product, Zohyadro, in early 2013.
Rival companies Perdue Pharma, Cephalon, and Egalet are developing their own versions.
Your typical painpill contains 10mgs of Hydrocodone and some Tylenol. The FDA says this is a safer drug and requires less regulation because you also mix the hydrocodone with Tylenol. So when you see 10/500 on the prescription label you know it contains 10mgs of Hydrocodone and 500mgs of Tylenol.
Why the new fears for this old yet new drug? They can keep it Schedule III. Why is that important? Less regulation. Not only that the sheer ammount of opiate. It would take 10 of the others (if they were 5/500) to equal one Zohydro.
Zohydro with its 50mgs of hydrocodone in a “time release” formula will easily be crushed and snorted. Remember, Oxycontin was originally hailed as the time-release of Oxycodone and safe for humans. Such as morphine was the magic elixir for hangovers in late 18th century then came the year 1889 and the cure for morphine addiction they now discovered was heroin. Yes, heroin will cure the morphine addiction. Then came 1969 and praised under the Nixon administration Methadone was the new cure for heroin addiction. We aren’t dealing with heroin addicts anymore folks, its all pills these days, and products like Zohydro are the backbone of the addiction industry.
The change in scheduling between oxycodone and hydrocodone leads the public to believe one is stronger than the other. They just don’t prescribe hydrocodone above 10mgs nor just the chemical alone. This new “time release” will once again contain an easy loophole (just crush the beads, use finger nail to tear off the coating) combined with no Tylenol – and tahdah you’ve got the new baby of the pharmaceutical world that can be insufflated or injected.
It still stays schedule III. Not II.
Mark this prediction: Zohydro the drug will hold the ranks of Quuludes and Oxycontin in terms of recognition from all the attributed deaths that arose from its abuse if the public isn't educated and angry while bringing more attention and making it a "Schedule II" narcotic. You'd see the clincial trials stop before the press release.
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