In short, the company that controlled the medication, Buprenorphine, was initially reluctant to market the medication for opioid addiction because it was an “old” medication, used as a painkiller, that researchers had noticed reduced opioid cravings. Therefore Reckett, the company that owned it, would have had no financial incentive to go through the process to bring it to market as a treatment for opioid addiction. NIDA paid for the clinical research to show that the medication would be effective and safe in treating addiction. Another factor that may be contributing to this progress is increased access to treatment, including medication assisted treatment using Suboxone and Methadone. For years, Purdue Pharma got away with promoting a dangerous opioid drug, enriching the Sackler family, while countless families suffered.