DRUG MANUFACTURER OUTLINES ANTI-ABUSE PLANS

Purdue Pharma will soon begin human testing of a reformulated version of
its potent and controversial painkiller oxycontin, a drug company
representative said monday in bristol.

The company is testing additives that would take away the drug's
heroin-like high when it is misused by abusers, who crush the pills and
inject or snort it, said Dr. J. David Haddox, a Purdue spokesman.

"We hope to have an entire line of abuse-resistant drugs," Haddox said. "We
don't want abusers to dictate medical care for everyone else. That is my
biggest concern."

The company has anecdotal evidence that some doctors in this region are no
longer prescribing OxyContin for fear of the scrutiny and bad publicity
involved, Haddox said.

The two new formulations of the drug being tested use different narcotic
reversal agents to keep abusers from getting the high that they seek,
Haddox explained.

But they must be tested to make sure that they will not harm those who use
the medicine for legitimate conditions, he added.

It was not clear how long the testing might take or when the company might
seek approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Haddox made his remarks during a meeting with the editorial board of the
Bristol Herald Courier. He also outlined a series of other initiatives he
said the company has taken to battle abuse of OxyContin and other
prescription narcotics.

"Despite the fact that Purdue has taken all the heat. ... OxyContin is just
part of the problem," he said. "One quarter of the drug abuse problem in
this country involves prescription drugs, including pain relievers, nerve
pills, sleeping medications and anti-seizure drugs."

OxyContin has been the focus of public attention this year after 120 deaths
nationwide were linked to it. More than three dozen Southwest Virginians
have died of overdoses of the potent time-released formulation of
oxycodone, authorities have said.

The drug is a synthetic form of morphine that is used to treat severe
chronic pain, like that associated with cancer and certain permanent injuries.

Critics have accused Purdue of pressuring doctors to prescribe the
medication inappropriately and have alleged that the drug is more addictive
than other narcotics.

Haddox countered that patients may become physically dependent on the drug,
but few develop true addictions.

"Addiction is a disease characterized by craving, compulsive use. It is no
longer voluntary and the use will continue despite causing harm," he said.

Purdue is working to keep its products from being diverted to addicts and
sold illegally on the street, Haddox said. While in Bristol, Haddox said he
planned to deliver cards to Bristol police that will help them recognize
the tablets.

The cards show the markings that are on pills illegally brought back into
the country from Canada and Mexico, he said. The company also has given
doctors tamper-resistant prescription pads that make forgeries more
difficult and has created an educational program to warn youngsters of the
dangers of prescription drug abuse, Haddox said.

Purdue faces a $5.2 billion federal lawsuit filed by Southwest Virginians
who claim that they were harmed by the drug. A trial date has not been set.