The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it has asked Endo Pharmaceuticals to stop selling its reformulated, extended-release painkiller, Opana ER, after concluding the drugs's risks outweigh its benefits. It's the first time the FDA has asked a drugmaker to remove an opioid painkiller from the market. The agency said it has seen a "significant shift" from people crushing and snorting Opana ER to get high to injecting it. Endo first got U.S. approval for its extended-release opioid, Opana ER, in 2006. However, generic versions of both the original Opana ER and the original immediate-release version, called oxymorphone ER, are on sale.

Source: CBC News June 09, 2017 15:13 UTC