As physicians move away from opioid painkillers, Pfizer's injectable drug Depo-Medrol is growing in popularity as a treatment for back pain despite warnings of the risk it carries for spinal use, The New York Times reports.
Here are seven key points:
1. In 2013, Pfizer asked the FDA to ban Depo-Medrol for epidural use, citing the risk of blindness, stroke, paralysis and death. Neither Pfizer nor the FDA publicized the request.
2. While the FDA did not issue a ban, opting instead to increase the label warning, several other countries granted Pfizer's request.
3. In June, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an increase in Medicare reimbursement for the Depo-Medrol injectable spinal procedure.
4. According to the health data firm IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science, total sales of brand name and generic Depo-Medrol grew 35 percent over two years, from $133 million in 2015 to $185 million in 2017.
5. An FDA records review found 2,442 serious problems reported from Depo-Medrol injections between 2004 through March 2018, including 154 deaths.
6. According to Pfizer spokesman Thomas Biegi, Pfizer the company cannot stop off-label Depo-Medrol shots without an FDA ban.
7. The cost per shot varies from $100 to $800 with an additional fee to the hospital or clinic where it is administered fee.