Insys Therapeutics Inc. (fka INSYQ)

[terry hallinan]

The Mislead from the news;

Alabama 'pill mill' doctor tied to Insys gets 21 years in prison

[excerpt:]

According to prosecutors, while both drugs were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for cancer pain, Ruan and Couch prescribed Subsys and Abstral for off-label uses to treat neck, back and joint pain.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/alabama-pill-mill-doctor-tied-195709912.html

[My comment surprisingly appended to Reuters article by Yahoo:]

"According to prosecutors, while both drugs were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for cancer pain, Ruan and Couch prescribed Subsys and Abstral for off-label uses to treat neck, back and joint pain."

That is not illegal.

The FDA has attempted many times to restrict prescriptions only for approved uses and been slapped down continually by the Supreme Court.

I do not have a detailed knowledge of the facts on trial and know little more than stories like this. I have no intention of defending the doctors or salespeople or any wrongdoing by Insys.

But it is extremely misleading to claim or intimate a crime was committed by prescribing off-label. There are many kinds of excruciating pain aside from breakthrough cancer pain.

Much appreciated but the vast majority of readers will only see the prejudicial accusation that the law was broken by off-label prescribing.

I have a step-sister who has spent a nearly full lifetime as a nurse in a cancer ward. Even other nurses shudder at such a life.

And even some of those in their final days are unable to get substantial relief from breakthrough cancer pain because of the now puritanical witch hunt against pain relief.

Insys is also finding great difficulty in bringing a drug to market that might save many lives from fentanyl overdose.

Best, Terry