BOSTON — A federal judge has stopped the governor from banning an addictive new painkiller.
U.S. District Judge Rya Zobel agreed Tuesday to a preliminary injunction lifting Gov. Deval Patrick's ban of Zohydro ER in Massachusetts.
Related Stories Zohydro opiate maker sues Massachusetts over banPill ban having ripple effectNew drug policies applaudedGovernor declares war on opiate epidemic Zobel ruled against the state ban on prescribing Zohydro, effective April 22, which gives the state time to appeal, according to Steven Hollman, the attorney for the drug's marketer Zogenix.
"We are gratified that Judge Zobel understood the important Constitutional principles implicated by the Governor's action and vindicated the FDA's determination that Zohydro"¢ER is safe and effective," Hollman stated by email. "Her order will ensure that this important new medication will be available to patients in Massachusetts for the management of pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate.
"Her order also appropriately adjusts the delicate balance between federal and state powers when it comes to regulating prescription medications," he stated.
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