Pharmer.org

Not sure if this has been mentioned in another forum, but earlier this month Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals introduced a new "pain management" drug called Magnacet, which M'rodt is touting as the only available oxycodone product coupled with 400mg of APAP, along with the "unique dosage" which gives physicians flexibility in treating patients. It is available in 2.5mg/400mg, 5mg/400mg, 7.5mg/400mg and 10mg/400mg tablets.

This may be cynical, but oxycodone/APAP is already available in so many different dosage combinations that it seems kind of unnecessary for Mallinckrodt to put time and money into R&D and the process of getting the drug approved by the FDA to begin with. So now doctors have the ability to, for example, write for Magnacet 5/400 instead of Percocet 5/325? 75 more milligrams of APAP wouldn't seem to make too much of a difference for most people. Other than the company wanting to add more brand names to its product database, I just can't see the point of this drug introduction.

Even more of a mystery to me is why they're introducing a product with new formulations of a drug (oxycodone) whose diversion to the black market and illicit use has skyrocketed within the last 5-10 years. Seems to me the FDA/DEA would be more interested in at least trying to limit the availability of oxycodone in whatever form, rather than putting more product on the market with the same abuse potential of any other oxycodone-combination drug out there already.

Am I missing something here?

Are MD's writing for this yet? Is it even available in pharmacies? Are there pictures available? Surprisingly, I wasn't able to find anything on Mallinckrodt's site.

What is even more baffling to me is why m'ckrodt would want to add another oxy/apap drug when they already have the lions share of the generic percocet market (in all strengths besides 2.5/325) Most pharmacies stock m'ckrodt oxy/apap generic products as they are the usually the cheapest for the pharmacy to acquire. I'd say if I called 10 different pharmacies for a generic percocet 5/325, 7 would carry the mallinckrodt generic, 2 would carry endo's generic (endocet) and possibly 1 would carry watson's 5/325 generic combo which looking at the pill side by side with a m'ckrodt generic, they are identical besides the imprint leading me to beleive that watsons 5/325 oxy/apap may indeed be mfg'd by m'ckrodt. Not so in their other strengths. With all the other percocet strengths 7.5/325, 7.5/500, 10/325, 10/650, at 10 pharms, I'd say 5 would stock m,ckrodt, 4 endocet, and 1 watson. I'm guessing that watson generics are more expensive for pharmacies to buy. I know many people find the watson products superior to other generics (except the oxy/apap 5/325 generic percocet) and I tend to agree. I like the endocet products as well and beleive that the majority of m'ckrodts products are of inferior quality compared to other generics and the brand from which it was spawned. I will always go to a pharmacy that I know uses alternatives to the m'ckrodt products unless is an emergency and I need a 24-hr pharmacy or I have no other choice. I would even pay extra  for the brand in most cases unless it was not available. Sorry to totally go off on a rant against mallinckrost, I am just sick of patients having to put up with a lousy product. As far as the subject of magnacet goes, even though I see no need for m'ckrodt to even produce it since the basically own the oxy/apap generic market (well, generally the entire market for generic versions of almost every narcotic available), I am guessing that very few doctors will rx this over percocet as it is almost exactly the same thing but probably much more expensive as there will be no generic available for that strength. The few cass in which it might be rx'd is dr's office's where m'ckrodt sales reps have convinced them that there are benefits to magnacet that makes it a better choice than percocet, roxicet, tylox and so on. Also if a paient asks specifically for it or if m'ckrodt starts giving dr. offices fre samples and discount cards for rx's and such. It is basically the equivalent of zydone a hydrocodone/apap combo marketed by endo gen pharm. Comes in the exact same strengths as magnacet and I have never seen a pill or heard of anyone who has, yet alone ayone who has been prescribed it. Only time will tell wit the magnacet but it sounds like a lost cause to me, especially with the stugma mallinckrost has among chronic pain patients or patients who are on opiates at all.

PDX

Has anyone else had trouble getting into Mallinckrodt's webpage?  Every time I go to their site, it asks me to participate in a survey, telling them if I am a consumer/doctor/nurse/PA/other, etc.  

I never get past that screen.  Anyone else having this problem with Mallinckrodt's website, please speak up.

Gtrplayer

You are 100% correct. I clicked consumer on the list then got a big fat 0. Maybe a glitch.

thelifeline