News Release
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Verde Environmental Technologies, Inc., Team to Provide Medsaway Medication Disposal System
Simple system allows patients to safely dispose of unused
prescription medications; helps combat potential diversion of opioid
medications
ST. LOUIS & MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 3, 2014--
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: MNK) and Verde Environmental
Technologies, Inc., have joined forces to address growing concerns
regarding responsible disposal of prescriptions and diversion of unused
opioid pain medications. Mallinckrodt and Verde will make the Verde
Medsaway® disposable pouches for home medication available to
patients through their physicians’ offices.
The patented Medsaway pouch neutralizes unwanted and unused prescription
drugs, making them physiologically inactive through an adsorption
reaction with carbon. Once the medicine is added to the pouch, along
with water, the activated carbon binds to the medicine’s active
ingredients to disable the medication.
“As a world leader in the manufacture of controlled substances,
Mallinckrodt is committed to supporting and implementing solutions to
reduce ongoing issues of abuse and diversion,” said Mark Trudeau,
President and Chief Executive Officer, Mallinckrodt. “We are excited to
add Medsaway to our broad range of programs that encourage and support
the appropriate use and safe disposal of pain and other medications.”
In the case of opioids, a recent survey found that 72 percent of
patients who were prescribed opioids reported having leftover amounts,
and 71 percent of those having leftover medication reported that they
kept it.1 These accumulations may be a contributing factor to
the recent high incidence of opioid-related poisonings.2
Medsaway can help keep medications from accumulating in the home, as the
pouch is easily disposed of in the household trash.
“In addition to helping combat the growing problems of abuse and
diversion of drugs from the home, Medsaway offers an environmentally
friendly and responsible way to dispose of unwanted pharmaceuticals,”
said Andrew Korey, PhD., Verde’s CEO. “We believe this is a real win for
the pharmaceutical industry, the environment and, ultimately, the
public.”
About Mallinckrodt
Mallinckrodt is a global specialty pharmaceutical business that
develops, manufactures, markets and distributes specialty pharmaceutical
products and medical imaging agents. The company’s Specialty
Pharmaceuticals segment includes branded and specialty generic drugs and
active pharmaceutical ingredients, and the Global Medical Imaging
segment includes contrast media and nuclear imaging agents. Mallinckrodt
has approximately 5,500 employees worldwide and a commercial presence in
roughly 70 countries. The company’s fiscal 2013 revenue totaled $2.2
billion. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com.
About Verde
Verde is a privately held organization, with Manufacturing and
Operations based in Minnesota. Verde products include Medsaway®
systems (SP, Home, Professional and XL) and Medsaway®
ContraPatch™ for safe inactivation of transdermal patches.
More information about Verde products can be found at www.medsaway.com
and www.contrapatch.com.
1 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Vol. 59, No.
6, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Feb 19,
2010.
2 Inocencio T.J., The Economic Burden of Opioid-Related
Poisonings in the United States; Pain Medicine, Jul 10, 2013.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140403005248/en/
Source: Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
Lynn Phillips, 314-654-3263
Manager,
Media Relations
lynn.phillips@mallinckrodt.com
or
Verde
Environmental Technologies
Clayton Anderson, 952-345-4525
Chief
Financial Officer
cjanderson@verdeenvirotech.com