$100M Adderall scheme; Senators warn of emerging nitazene threat; consumers tire of TV drug ads – Morning Medical Update

Digital health company, medical practice, indicted in $100M Adderall scheme

A California-based digital health company and a Florida medical practice have been indicted on federal charges alleging a years-long scheme to illegally distribute Adderall and other stimulants, generating more than $100 million in revenue. According to the Justice Department, Done Global Inc. and Mindful Mental Wellness P.A. allegedly used a subscription-based telehealth model to provide easy access to controlled substances without legitimate medical purpose, often without proper examinations or adherence to DSM-V criteria for ADHD.

Prosecutors allege more than 40 million pills were prescribed, including to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and that the companies submitted false claims to insurers while concealing improper prescribing practices from pharmacies. Done Global is also charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice. Federal officials said the case underscores growing scrutiny of telehealth prescribing of controlled substances and serves as a warning to physicians and digital health companies about regulatory, criminal and patient-safety risks.

Senators warn of nitazenes as next opioid crisis

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., is leading a group of Democratic senators in pressing the Trump administration to take stronger action against nitazenes, an emerging class of ultra-potent synthetic opioids that lawmakers warn could fuel a new wave of overdoses. In a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the senators cited evidence that nitazenes — illicitly manufactured and often far more powerful than fentanyl — frequently evade routine toxicology screening, obscuring their role in overdose deaths. The lawmakers criticized recent cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration workforce and called for a coordinated federal response emphasizing surveillance, clinician guidance, laboratory capacity and harm-reduction strategies, including naloxone access. They also questioned whether current overdose-reversal protocols and medications for opioid use disorder are sufficient to address exposure to these highly potent synthetic opioids, urging HHS to act before nitazenes escalate into a broader public health crisis.

Survey finds TV drug ads wear thin as consumers favor audio and patient stories

Many consumers are growing frustrated with the volume and presentation of direct-to-consumer television drug ads, according to a new survey from SiriusXM Media, raising questions about where pharmaceutical marketing dollars may shift next. Nearly 80% of more than 2,100 respondents said there are too many pharma ads on TV and streaming video, and about half said the upbeat visuals commonly used feel unrealistic or misleading when paired with serious side-effect disclosures. By contrast, respondents showed more openness to audio ads, saying they make it easier to focus on safety information without visual distraction.

More than half preferred ads featuring real patient stories, and a substantial minority found unbranded disease-awareness ads helpful. With most respondents expressing interest in learning about drugs such as GLP-1s but little desire to do so via TV, the findings suggest audio platforms may be an underused channel.