Newport Beach, California–(Newsfile Corp. – July 18, 2019) – Vivera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on non-addictive pain management, today announces its continued commitment to the advancement of research and development of cannabidiol (CBD)-based therapies as effective alternatives to opioids in response to newly released federal data regarding the opioid crisis.
“Vivera is taking a research-led approach to identify the potential of CBD,” said Olivia Karpinski, Co-founder and Director of Vivera. “As the opioid crisis has reached epidemic levels, our mission is to develop non-addictive treatments to effectively manage pain.”
According to data released this week, there were 76 billion oxycodone and hydrocodone pain pills distributed in the U.S. from 2006 to 2012. This number comes from a database maintained by the Drug Enforcement Administration that tracks the path of every single pain pill sold in the United States. It also shows that companies distributed 8.4 billion oxycodone and hydrocodone pills in 2006 and 12.6 billion in 2012 for an increase of over 50%. During that same period, there were nearly 100,000 opioid overdose deaths. The number of pills distributed is staggering and much greater than what has previously been disclosed in limited court filings and news reports. The state that received the highest concentrations of pills per person per year at 66.5 was West Virginia. It was also the state with the highest opioid death rate during that period.
The pain pill crisis in the U.S. started about 30 years ago with the introduction of an opioid called OxyContin that was marketed as less addictive, and as a safe and effective way to treat pain. The truth is that OxyContin is highly addictive, and as more people became addicted, more companies entered the market, manufacturing and distributing massive quantities of pain pills.
“Time and time again I’ve seen patients whose lives are completely devastated by opioids when they were originally only seeking relief from pain,” said Dr. McColgan, Chief Medical Officer of Vivera. “It’s time to give patients alternative pain treatments that don’t come with the consequences of addiction.”
“The results we are seeing so far in case studies using CBD as an effective treatment for opiate cessation and deterrence are very positive,” said Paul Edalat, Founder and Chairman of Vivera. “I’m optimistic that Vivera can have a beneficial impact on this national and worldwide epidemic.”
Fig 1: 76 billion pain pills were distributed in the U.S. from 2006 to 2012
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About Vivera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Vivera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an innovative, science-driven pharmaceutical company focused on opioid deterrence and cessation and non-addictive solutions for pain management.
In addition to its pharmaceutical and medical device products, the company has global exclusivity to license the patented and patent-pending TABMELT™ sublingual drug-delivery system for the pharmaceutical use of cannabinoid compounds.
Vivera Pharmaceuticals is seeking to conduct case studies and clinical trials on CBD in the TABMELT™ drug delivery format with the goal of gaining FDA approval for its products.
The company is vertically integrated with patented technology, manufacturing capabilities and distribution for its products.
For more information, visit https://viverapharmaceuticals.com.
Investor Relations Inquiries:
thinkHERO
Patrick Piette, CFA for Vivera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
416-526-9911
[email protected]
Press Inquiries:
thinkHERO
Karin Elz, for Vivera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
416-992-9848
[email protected]
Released July 18, 2019
