Indopedia All Things Marijuana
CONCORD, N.H. — The attorney general’s office sued Purdue Pharma on Tuesday, alleging that the drug manufacturer has continued its deceptive marketing of OxyContin in a state that has been called the “ground zero” of the opioid epidemic.
In a civil complaint, the state alleges that Purdue Pharma has downplayed the drug’s risk of addiction, overstated its effectiveness, claimed it is nearly impossible to abuse and failed to report suspicious prescribers. It’s the latest in a string of lawsuits by state, county and local governments accusing prescription opioid manufacturers of fraud and deceptive marketing.
The attorney general’s office in New Hampshire has been investigating half a dozen drug companies and their marketing practices for two years. During that time, the opioid problem has continued to grow. Nearly 500 people died of overdoses in 2016 — a nearly ten-fold increase since 2000. In October, the deputy administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement…
