FDA: 'limited' benefit with tamper-proof OxyContin

Federal health officials say a new version of the painkiller OxyContin that is designed to be harder to abuse offers some improvements over the original pill. Purdue Pharma LP has touted the new pill's plastic-like coating, which is designed to make the drug harder to crush and snort or inject. Food and Drug Administration scientists said Tuesday that the drug's resistance to abuse is "limited," but "may provide an advantage over the currently available OxyContin." A panel of advisers to the FDA said last year that the company needed to do more testing to demonstrate the drug's tamper resistance.