Under pressure, physicians began to insist that their patients taper opioids. But alternatives were few and far between. The single most effective class of non-opioid painkiller, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory known as a “COX-2 inhibitor,” had its reputation blackened in the mid-2000s, just as opioid manufacturers fought to obtain the lion’s share of the market.

BlogCathryn Jakobson RaminDecember 8, 2015Opioid Prescription, Painkillers, Public Policy

The Future of Back Pain Relief: Stem Cells?

For more than three decades, the promise of stem cells has given hope to researchers and patients in search of a treatment for incurable diseases. But time and again, the field has been wracked by setbacks, scandals, and sometimes, outright fraud.

BlogCathryn Jakobson RaminMay 19, 2015Public Policy, Stem Cells

Abuse Deterrence is No Deterrent

Much of the backlash against the new prescription painkiller Zohydro has revolved around its lack of an “abuse-deterrent formulation,” which would prevent users from crushing pills into a powder to snort or inject for an immediate high that bypasses the slow-release formula.

BlogLiz SavageMay 16, 2014Opioid Prescription, Painkillers, Public Policy

More Ways to Die from Opioid Prescription

Cathryn wrote a great piece for the NewYorker.com last December about the controversial new painkiller Zohydro, which was approved by the FDA despite the agency’s own advisory panel’s recommendation against it.

BlogLiz SavageMay 1, 2014Opioid Prescription, Painkillers, Public Policy

The (long) process of investigative reporting

A book full of investigative reporting is a living thing, one that lies fallow for a long time before it buds, and finally – if you’re lucky – blossoms and bears fruit. This can take a while.

BlogCathryn Jakobson RaminJanuary 7, 2013Journalism, Public Policy, Writing the Book

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