In the News

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today introduced the Curb Opioid Misuse by Advancing Technology (COMBAT) Act, which would encourage drug manufacturers to engage in studies demonstrating abuse-deterrent effectiveness and to increase diversity in abuse-deterrent technology, technologies that make opioids harder to abuse.  The bill would also require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider abuse deterrence as a condition of approval for a product.

“Our nation is in the midst of an exploding opioid epidemic that does not discriminate on the basis of a particular community or demographic,” said Congressman Gerry Connolly. “The American people are looking for Congress to engage in this fight and help stem the crisis. This bill incentivizes the innovation of new abuse deterrent medicines to enter the market and provides another tool to reduce opioid abuse.”

Congressman Morgan Griffith said, “As the fight against our country’s heroin and prescription drug abuse epidemic continues, Congress must do its part.  While there is no one solution, the COMBAT Act would be a good step in seeing that opioids are made more difficult to abuse.  I thank Congressman Connolly for his support, and I am hopeful that, all working together, we can make a difference and help save lives.”

Abuse-deterrent formulation (ADF) medications provide patients with the same relief as conventional pain medications, but incorporate breakthrough methods designed to protect against manipulation or abuse.  For example, ADFs may contain physical or chemical properties that make it difficult to crush, cut, or dissolve the opioid.  Further, ADFs when manipulated may also block the opioid’s euphoric effect.

The text of the COMBAT Act is here.