In addition, AG Shapiro alleged that “Purdue Pharma took advantage of addiction to make money.” He noted that physicians stopped their decades-old practice of reserving the use opioids to treat short-term severe pain when Purdue Pharma introduced OxyContin in 1996.
OxyContin contains Oxycodone, a molecule almost identical to heroin and the most frequently reported cause of drug-related overdose deaths.
Purdue Pharma allegedly engaged in deceptive marketing campaign
According to the Attorney General, Purdue Pharma engaged in a multi-faceted campaign of deception to change doctors’ attitudes, culture and practice around pain management.
The pharmaceutical company allegedly made over 500,000 in-person sales calls, pushing OxyContin to Pennsylvania prescribers. Its sales force misinformed doctors and pharmacists about the addictive nature of OxyContin. As a result, doctors and pharmacists over-prescribed OxyContin.
Furthermore, AG Shapiro noted that in 2010 Purdue Pharma also introduced another dangerous drug called Butrans, which releases opioids into the body from a skin patch. In 2015, the pharmaceutical company introduced Hysingla ER, another opioid.
