@Mr.Root
Tramadol, introduced, in 1994, underpatented name ULTRAM, MFG was Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals. When the patent expired, in the
year 2011, Tramadol sales fell out of the top 200 brand, and top 200 generic sales for the 2008, with total tramadol sales with APAP,
3,147, 654 scripts filled in calender year 2008, and, no 138 in generic drug sales, and with brand sales, tramadol, under patented
protected sales, Ultram Extended Release, mfg Ortho McNeil, had a ranking of no. 193 with 1,174,557 rx fill and refills during that
same year. Generic pure tramadol did not even make either list of the top 200 drug out of REDBOOK listing of over 100,000
drugs, and, PDR's listing of over 4,000 drugs advertised in calender 2008.
With the USA rescheduling DARVON a 50 year old C-IV controlled substance, under the names by founder Eli Lilly, such as Darvocet
N50, Darvocet N100, Darvon 65, and Darvon Compound, and dozens of generic competitors, in the calender year 2010, all sales of
the chemical name containing Propoxyphene with APAP had sales of 20,411,962, the no 2 selling pain reliever, behind no 1 selling
Vicodin by Abbott a/k/a hydrocodone with APAP with 121,265,610 prescriptions filled and refilled during calender year 2010. in 2011
it fell to zero, update, now TRAMODAL has risen from sales of around 4 million per year now to 40 million prescriptions per year in
the USA. Our concerned DEA has now placed any form of Tramadol, as a C-IV, controlled substance, and, it was the no 2 selling pain
med in the top 200 generic meds in calender year 2014, I expect the sales to fall, like hydrocodone has, as, it was upgraded to a
C-II narcotic in Oct 2013, and sales are falling by then millions of annual scripts filled. IMHO it is foolish to schedule a med that
was introduced in 1994, as a non controlled substance, to now a C-IV, like a Class C in UK, on Tramadol. I used to get handfuls of
it when I was married for 19 years to a RN who brought me samples in the mid 90's of this pain reliever that did nothing for me for
pain IMHO.
The elimination of Darvon, Darvocet N50 with APAP, Darvocet N100 with APAP ,Darvon Compound in 2011, has left 20,411,982
Americans now without a 50+ year old proven C-IV pain med, out in the cold. No wonder, Tramadol, has risen in sales in 2 years
from 4 million brand and generic to now over 40 million prescriptions for Tramadol in any form. The Aug 2014 ruling by the USA
DEA to place it in a C-IV likely will slow down the sales now. I call it IMHO the USA war on prescription pain meds by the DEA !!!
@Mr.Root
Tramadol, introduced, in 1994, underpatented name ULTRAM, MFG was Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals. When the patent expired, in the
year 2011, Tramadol sales fell out of the top 200 brand, and top 200 generic sales for the 2008, with total tramadol sales with APAP,
3,147, 654 scripts filled in calender year 2008, and, no 138 in generic drug sales, and with brand sales, tramadol, under patented
protected sales, Ultram Extended Release, mfg Ortho McNeil, had a ranking of no. 193 with 1,174,557 rx fill and refills during that
same year. Generic pure tramadol did not even make either list of the top 200 drug out of REDBOOK listing of over 100,000
drugs, and, PDR's listing of over 4,000 drugs advertised in calender 2008.
With the USA rescheduling DARVON a 50 year old C-IV controlled substance, under the names by founder Eli Lilly, such as Darvocet
N50, Darvocet N100, Darvon 65, and Darvon Compound, and dozens of generic competitors, in the calender year 2010, all sales of
the chemical name containing Propoxyphene with APAP had sales of 20,411,962, the no 2 selling pain reliever, behind no 1 selling
Vicodin by Abbott a/k/a hydrocodone with APAP with 121,265,610 prescriptions filled and refilled during calender year 2010. in 2014
Vicodin and all generic of hydro with APAP sales have fallen by 60 million prescriptions, thanks to our DEA.
Hydro with APAP is as tightly controlled now as Demerol, Morphine, Dilaudid, and, Oxycontin. Tramadol
is a non controlled substance so far in Mexico, and some other EU countries, I understand, so far. IMHO
no wonder Tramadol sales risen in calender year 2013 and 2014 from 4 million to 40 million sales of
scripts per year. Time will tell now that the USA DEA has controlled Tramadol as a C-IV like Alprazolam!
@MrRoot,
One correction, Propoxyphene, is now in the USA a Schedule I, meaning it is illegal to manufacture this 50 year old drug in any form,
C-I is a schedule set aside for no meaningful purpose, for the USA medical practicing field, like, Heroin, Methaqualone, LSD, and,
MDMA (Ecstasy) and MDA. If history repeats itself, it will be gradually withdrawn from all of the industrialized world in the next decade
or two. Similiar to the disappearance of once widespread barbituates, Glutethimide, (Nembutal, Tuinal, Doriden), hypnotics like
Placidyl, removed from the USA in 2002, and Canada, in 2006. Stimulants, like, a 50 year history of Benzedrine, Preludin, Biphetamine,
the latter two withdrawn by the mfg due to a USA stigma causing poor sales, and, the mfg volunteering to withdraw the med, and
another pain med "Pentazocine HCI" 10 years ago legal in 21 countries, now, only 8 countries left in the world who mfg this C-IV,
pain med, introduced, in the USA in 1967.
