DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 28, 2017--
Alkermes
plc (NASDAQ: ALKS) participated in the Third Meeting of the
President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis
held yesterday in Washington, D.C.The Commission was formed to study
the scope and effectiveness of the Federal response to drug addiction
and the opioid crisis and to make recommendations to the President for
improving that response. Alkermes CEO Richard Pops joined government,
nonprofit, and business organizations at yesterday’s meeting to testify
in support of the Commission’s ongoing effort to discuss innovative
solutions to address the opioid crisis. The purpose of yesterday’s
meeting was to review education efforts, treatment options and measures
to prevent diversion.
“Alkermes is honored to be included in this important national dialogue.
We are encouraged by the level of engagement by senior policymakers and
public health officials to evaluate the treatment status quo and
consider new treatment approaches to help address the opioid epidemic,”
said Richard Pops, Chief Executive Officer of Alkermes. “At a moment
when healthcare accessibility and affordability are in the spotlight of
our national dialogue, Alkermes is providing patient-centered treatment
options to those afflicted by addiction and serious mental illness. We
have been committed to these patients for many years, and are proud to
be working with healthcare providers, public health officials and
policymakers to address these devastating diseases that wreak havoc on
patients, their families and in our communities.”
Please click here
to read a corporate statement on the testimony.
About Opioid Dependence
A
chronic brain disease, opioid dependence is characterized by cognitive,
behavioral and physiological symptoms in which an individual continues
to use opioids despite significant harm to oneself and others.1
The use of heroin, an illegal opioid drug, and the non-medical use of
FDA-approved opioid analgesics, including prescription pain relievers,
represents a growing public health problem in the U.S. According to the
2014 U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 2.3
million people aged 18 or older were dependent on pain relievers or
heroin in the U.S.2
About Alkermes
Alkermes plc is
a fully integrated, global biopharmaceutical company developing
innovative medicines for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS)
diseases. The company has a diversified commercial product portfolio and
a substantial clinical pipeline of product candidates for chronic
diseases that include schizophrenia, depression, addiction and multiple
sclerosis. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Alkermes plc has an R&D
center in Waltham, Massachusetts; a research and manufacturing facility
in Athlone, Ireland; and a manufacturing facility in Wilmington, Ohio.
For more information, please visit Alkermes’ website at www.alkermes.com.
1 DSM-IV-TR, American Psychiatric Association.
2 SAMHSA. Behavioral Health Trends in the United States:
Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Accessed on Sept. 28, 2017 from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FRR1-2014/NSDUH-FRR1-2014.pdf.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170928006310/en/
Source: Alkermes plc
Alkermes plc
For Investors:
Sandy Coombs, +1 781-609-6377
or
Eva
Stroynowski, +1 781-609-6823
or
For Media:
Jennifer
Snyder, +1 781 609-6166