Orexo Welcomes Changes from U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Announcement Increasing Treatment Access for Opioid-Dependent Patients

MORRISTOWN, N.J., July 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued today by Robert A. DeLuca, President of Orexo US, Inc., in response to the changes announced by U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) to combat the nation's opioid epidemic:

Orexo US, Inc. applauds yesterday's announcement by HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell aimed at improving access to opioid dependence treatment by increasing the number of patients qualified physicians can treat from 100 to 275.  Additionally, Orexo commends Congress for their strong bipartisan support complementing this announcement and looks forward to additional legislation supporting increased access to appropriate patient care.

Although it is estimated that 2 million people are dependent or abuse opioids many struggle to find a qualified physician due to the patient cap. This lack of access to treatment in a qualified treatment setting has led to a vicious cycle forcing patients to obtain their treatment on the street in a drug-abusing environment that perpetuates the risk of continued addiction. 

The announced change will also help reduce the stigma that currently prevents many patients from openly seeking treatment. Orexo feels that it should be no harder to obtain medication-assisted treatment (MAT) than it is to obtain treatment for any other chronic disease. Orexo takes pride in continuing our work with all stakeholders to reduce stigma and increase acceptance of appropriate treatment for opioid dependent patients via our Out The Monster disease-education campaign. (www.outthemonster.com)

"The opioid epidemic is affecting every aspect of American life and to win the fight, change is essential.  With the initiative announced yesterday an important step towards improving treatment access in an appropriate medical setting will help save lives through improved access to a qualified physician. Orexo is proud to be part of this change and our commitment is unwavering" said Robert A. DeLuca, President of Orexo US, adding "we look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders as we fight the epidemic of opioid addiction."

For further information, please contact
Robert A. DeLuca, President
Tel: (973) 936-6990, E-mail: [email protected]

About Orexo
Orexo is a specialty pharmaceutical company with global headquarters and R&D based in Uppsala, Sweden and a commercial subsidiary based in Morristown, New Jersey. Orexo's share are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Exchange Mid Cap (STO: ORX) and is available as ADRs on OTCQX (ORXOY) in the US. www.orexo.com

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SOURCE Orexo US, Inc.

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