Opioid makers paid millions to advocacy groups, US Senate report says

Groups that received donations may have played a role in 42,000 overdose deaths

Ms McCaskill, the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s ranking Democrat, said the groups issued guidance promoting opioids for chronic pain and lobbied against laws to curbShow more

Five opioid manufacturers including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma have paid more than $10 million (Dh37m) to advocacy groups and doctors tied to them, many of whom amplified industry messages supporting the use of the painkillers, a US Senate report said on Monday.

The report, released by Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, said groups who received the donations aligned themselves with industry goals and may have played a role in an epidemic that in 2016 led to 42,000 opioid overdose deaths.

The report released by Ms McCaskill, the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s ranking Democrat, said the groups issued guidance promoting opioids for chronic pain and lobbied against laws to curb their use.

“These financial relationships were insidious, lacked transparency, and are one of many factors that have resulted in arguably the most deadly drug epidemic in American history,” Ms McCaskill said.

Purdue Pharma, which on Saturday announced it would stop promoting opioids to doctors, was the biggest donor, giving $4.15m to 12 groups from 2012 to 2017, the report said.

The groups include patient advocacy organisations and medical professional societies.

One recipient was the Academy of Integrative Pain Management (AIPM), which partnered with another group to lobby state legislatures on opioid-related issues and fight efforts to restrict opioid prescribing, the report said.

Purdue said  that it supported organisations interested in helping patients receive appropriate care. AIPM executive director Bob Twillman said that financial contributions had not influenced its positions.

The report said Insys Therapeutics, which markets the fentanyl-based cancer pain drug Subsys, gave $3.15m to US Pain Foundation and others, ranking second in donations to the 14 groups examined.

Federal prosecutors have accused several former Insys executives and employees, including billionaire Insys founder John Kapoor, of engaging in a scheme to pay kickbacks to doctors to prescribe Subsys. Mr Kapoor has pleaded not guilty.

US Pain Foundation said the $2.5m Insys donated in 2017 was for a fund to help cancer patients pay for pain drugs, and that the money did not influence its values. Insys said it strives to follow regulations.

The report said the groups also received $1.07m from Depomed Inc, $465,142 from Johnson & Johnson and $20,250 from Mylan.

Doctors affiliated with the organisations received $1.6m, the report said.

Depomed declined to comment. J&J said it co-operated with Ms McCaskill. Mylan emphasised its small opioid marketshare.