FDA Chief Lays Out Vision for New Pain Pills to Replace Opioids
- Gottlieb seeks incentives for industry to develop better pills
- Envisions future where older opioids would be taken off market
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Pharmaceutical companies should have to prove that any new opioids work better or are safer than current painkillers, the departing head of the Food and Drug Administration said, laying out a vision for replacing the drugs blamed for sparking an overdose epidemic.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who plans to leave his job at the agency next week, wants companies to develop pain drugs that could eventually allow older opioids to be restricted or to come off the market entirely.