11 - 2FDA advisory committee vote against recommending a new high-strength painkiller, Zohydro, for approval in March. The drug consists of hydrocodone bitartrate, which regulators fear could become a popular alternative for addicts of opiate painkillers — painkiller abuse accounts for 75% of overdose deaths in the United States. Conversely, the drug’s effect might indeed help some people — it’s intended to provide constant, slow-release relief to those in constant pain, without the use of acetaminophen, which can lead to liver damage with overuse. source
