U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin is calling on the government's top health
official to overturn the approval of a powerful painkiller, arguing that the
pill Zohydro could add to the national epidemic of prescription drug abuse.
The West Virginia Democrat joins a chorus of lawmakers, state
prosecutors and medical groups seeking a reversal of the Food and Drug
Administration's October approval. In a letter Monday, Manchin asks Health and
Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to overrule the agency's decision.
Zohydro is the first single-ingredient hydrocodone drug ever
cleared for U.S.
The FDA approval surprised many doctors, since the agency's own
advisers voted overwhelmingly against the drug, citing its abuse potential.
