NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.— As large corporations are being held responsible for fueling the opioid crisis, an estimated $32 billion in settlements are being allocated to pay states, Native American tribes, victim families, and current patients struggling with addiction. While a majority of the payouts will allegedly go to “reducing future addiction and death,” it is unclear how the government plans to use the settlement payments to make that happen.
In response to the opioid crisis, Vivera has invented ZICOH™, a dose-controlled, electronic drug delivery device that will change the way prescription medications with a higher propensity for abuse are prescribed, dispensed, and tracked. The Company invites the parties criticized most for their role in the opioid crisis, including prescription drug manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and pharmacies, to be a part of the solution by partnering and investing in ZICOH.
Vivera has long understood that to tackle the opioid crisis, we first need to prevent addiction from occurring in the first place. About 25 percent of patients who are prescribed opiates for chronic pain misuse them, and about ten percent of patients taking opioids for chronic pain develop an opioid use disorder. Ultimately, opioids are killing over 100 Americans every day and are a factor in 7 out of every ten overdose deaths.
“Nearly everyone has been directly affected by or knows someone who has been affected by addiction,” said Paul Edalat, Chairman and CEO of Vivera. “There is an opportunity here to save the lives of many people. Vivera’s call to action by all parties involved in the prescription drug supply chain to further develop and bring the ZICOH technology to market is meant to be a collaborative effort that will change the trajectory of the opioid epidemic.”
ZICOH will utilize a secure database integrated with AI to form a unique software architecture and advanced patented technology, making it the first device of its kind to enable effective communication through the drug supply chain, from drug manufacturers to wholesalers, distributors, pharmacists, providers, physicians, caregivers, and patients. The device can be programmed to dispense the medication dosage amount, type, and frequency to patients according to the health care provider’s orders and delivery schedule. Each of its features helps ensure patient compliance and patient follow-up, consequentially reducing the risk of addiction and overdose.
“Our ZICOH device technology along with its elaborate, secure communication network and ecosystem has been in development and perfection for the past five years with the major goal of saving lives and providing a viable solution to the ever-increasing opioid crisis,” said Mehdi Hatamian, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Advisor for Vivera. “The billions of dollars in damages, regardless of how large the number before the ‘b’ is, will never ever bring back the lives that were lost; it is time to act to prevent future names added to the lost-forever list.”
“Vivera’s ZICOH medical device is an important breakthrough and an essential clinical tool to address the opioid crisis,” said Aaron Kheriaty, M.D., Vivera’s Medical Ethics Advisor. “It will help clinicians strike the right ethical balance when prescribing opioids: both treating pain with opioid medications when indicated, and at the same time, minimizing the risk to the patient of addiction and diversion. It has the potential to help the management of severe pain while saving lives.”
Opioids are estimated to have taken the lives of over one million people. According to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100,000 people died of a drug overdose in the U.S. between April 2020 and April 2021 alone, making it the first time that drug-related deaths have reached six figures in a 12-month period.
According to the lawsuits, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, McKesson, Johnson & Johnson, and Purdue Pharma played a significant role in the current state of the opioid epidemic.
Vivera is offering these parties, along with insurance companies, pharmacies, drug manufacturers, and other stakeholders, an opportunity to be part of a solution that has the potential to save millions of lives.
“We are at a pivotal moment where it’s time to make a choice. Are you joining our mission to end the opioid crisis, or are you going to continue to be accused of being part of the problem?” asked CEO of Vivera, Paul Edalat. “I would like to personally invite the CEOs of these companies who are in a position to make a difference to partner and invest in a drug delivery system that can help us end the opioid crisis, Steven H. Collis of AmerisourceBergen, Mike Kaufmann of Cardinal Health, Brian S. Tyler of McKesson, Joaquin Duato of Johnson & Johnson, Craig Landau of Purdue Pharma, and any other companies that want to put an end to this: let’s finally join forces and stop this epidemic together.”
About Vivera Pharmaceuticals
Vivera Pharmaceuticals is an innovative, science-driven pharmaceutical company located in Southern California. The Company has global exclusivity to license the patented and patent-pending TABMELT™ sublingual drug delivery system for pharmaceutical use and holds its own issued patents on ZICOH™, an electronic, dose-controlled medical device. With multiple divisions, including its pharmaceutical, neurosciences, medical technology, biosciences, and advanced diagnostics divisions, Vivera Pharmaceuticals is vertically integrated with patented technology, manufacturing capabilities, and distribution for its products.
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Ashley LeVine
