STAMFORD, Conn.– Purdue Pharma L.P. (“Purdue”) announced today that the company has partnered with MMCAP Infuse to provide buprenorphine and naloxone tablets CIII (generic Suboxone®), a medication for opioid use disorder (“MOUD”), at low cost to correctional facilities for incarcerated individuals with opioid use disorder. MMCAP Infuse is a national cooperative group purchasing organization operated by the State of Minnesota, Office of State Procurement, for government facilities that provide healthcare services. Under the agreement, to increase access to treatment for incarcerated individuals, Purdue will provide for distribution approximately 1.25 million tablets at the cost of one penny ($0.01) per tablet.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (“ONDCP”) reports that substance use disorder affects an estimated 65 percent of incarcerated individuals, 1 and correctional facilities often face cost barriers in providing adequate substance use disorder treatment.2 Moreover, according to ONDCP, research shows that individuals leaving prison face a “meaningful elevated risk” of opioid overdose death [up to 40 times higher] than that of the general population during the first two weeks following their release.1,3 However, research also indicates that treatment with MOUDs during incarceration can reduce the risk of drug overdose death in the first month post release by 85 percent.1
“Our agreement with MMCAP Infuse supports the objectives identified by ONDCP and other government agencies that have emphasized the need to expand access to MOUD for incarcerated individuals,” said Craig Landau, MD, President and CEO of Purdue. “Unfortunately, too many in this patient population are left in need of treatment. We are committed to delivering solutions to help with this complex crisis and working with partners such as MMCAP Infuse to bring medication to those who need it most.”
This buprenorphine/naloxone tablet distribution effort is an important part of Purdue’s Public Health Initiatives, which focus on the development and distribution of medicines that reverse opioid overdoses and treat opioid use disorder. Rhodes Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Purdue, distributes this medication.
