Pharma Wants to Make OxyContin for Kids

As if there hadn’t yet been enough concern over the addictive painkiller OxyContin, its maker is now trying to get FDA approval to label it as suitable for use by children as young as 6 years old. The Daily reports that Purdue Pharma “has paid dozens of clinical sites around the country to document what happens” when the drug is administered to kids. The company’s primary motivation, say those familiar with the move, is to leverage the research into a six-month extension of its expiring patent on the drug. OxyContin brought in $2.8 billion for Purdue Pharma last year.