Stephen Colbert discussed the opioid epidemic and took aim at pharmaceutical companies during a "Late Show" segment Sept. 14, according to Rolling Stone.
"There are certain subjects that are genuinely hard to talk about like, the opioid crisis," Mr. Colbert said during the segment. "It's an epidemic that affects both political parties, Republican, Democrat, rich people, poor people, it does not discriminate. And a lot of people blame big pharma, but only because it's their fault."
Mr. Colbert discussed the many lawsuits against Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sackler family, for allegedly obscuring OxyContin's addictive nature and contributing to the opioid epidemic.
In 2007, Purdue pled guilty to misleading regulators about the addictive nature of OxyContin and received a $600 million fine.
Mr. Colbert also said Purdue Pharma owns a secret company called Rhodes Pharma, which is the largest producer of off-patent generic opioids in the U.S., and recently patented a new opioid dependence treatment.
"So, the Sackler's addicted the country to opioids, now they're going to profit off the cure?" Mr. Colbert said. "That takes a pair of swingin' Sacklers."
Becker’s Hospital Review reached out to Rhodes Pharmaceuticals for the following statement:
"Rhodes Pharmaceuticals has a patent, but we do not have a developed or approved product, and therefore no money has been made from this technology. The invention behind the buprenorphine patent in question was developed more than a dozen years ago. If a product is developed under this patent, it will not be commercialized for profit," James Doyle, vice president and general counsel of Rhodes Pharmaceuticals, told Becker’s Hospital Review.