Posted Tuesday, September 22, 2009 --- 10:48 a.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- 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 says a plastic-like coating on the tablets makes them harder to crush and snort or inject.

Food and Drug Administration scientists say 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.

The FDA will ask the same panel Thursday whether the drug should be approved based on new data submitted by Stamford, Conn.-based Purdue Pharma.

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