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Joined: Jul 21 2005
Posts: 1
User offline. Last seen 3 years 24 weeks ago.

HEARD ALITTLE RUMOR THAT OXY CONTIN TABLETS HAVE BEEN CHANGED?  USUALLY COME IN 10 20 40 80 120MG, BUT I HEARD THAT ANYTHING OVER 20MG IS NOW BEING CHANGED TO GEL TABS? IS THIS TRUE???

Joined: Dec 24 2004
Posts: 269
User offline. Last seen 5 weeks 3 days ago.
Remoxy

You are most likely thinking of Remoxy.  A controlled release forumulation of  the opioid oxycodone.  Remoxy uses a proprietary gel that provides controled release of the drug.  Remoxy has just initiated phase 3 clinical trials and is likely still several years from market.

Perdue, has also filed a patent in 2001 on an anti-abuse form of oxycontin.  This form as an added ingredient naltrexone which is acts as a blocker preventing oxcodone from binding the opioid receptors.   The idea being that if the drug is crushed, naltrexone will also be released in large quantites preventing a 'high' . Recently (2004), Perdue pulled this new drug from clinical trials.  Apparently, it didn't have the same beneficial effect that the unadulterated version had. 

The bottom line is that is that the drug approval process is very long and slow.  Oxycontin has proven a safe and effective treatment when prescibed and adminstered correctly.   Eventually it may be replaced with an abuse-resistant product but that will be sometime in the future.