Subscribe to Business UpdatesOxyContin Makers Plead Guilty to Deceiving Public About Drug's Addictiveness
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findingDulcinea Staff
Executives from The Purdue Frederick Co., maker of the painkiller OxyContin, have admitted that the company’s sales staff told doctors, despite knowledge to the contrary, that the drug was hard to abuse and less addictive than other pain medications.
30 Second Summary
Like heroin, OxyContin is derived from the opium poppy and can be highly addictive; when crushed and then swallowed, snorted, or injected, the drug can also produce a heroinlike high.
Despite knowledge of OxyContin’s addictive dangers, the Purdue Frederick Co. fraudulently marketed the drug by telling doctors that not only was it hard to abuse, but it was less addictive than other pain medications, and wouldn’t create withdrawal symptoms in patients.
The drugmaker has now admitted its public deception, agreeing to pay $635 million to settle charges of fraudulent marketing filed by one of Virginia’s State Attorneys.
Since being approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1995, OxyContin has become a highly sought after street drug in the eastern United States. The painkiller made regular headlines during the late ‘90s and early 2000s as reports of teen abuse, pharmacy robberies, and high-profile addictions proliferated in the media.
The settlement is reminiscent of the case against the tobacco industry, in which “Big Tobacco” agreed to pay $246 billion for misleading the public about the health risks of smoking.
Despite knowledge of OxyContin’s addictive dangers, the Purdue Frederick Co. fraudulently marketed the drug by telling doctors that not only was it hard to abuse, but it was less addictive than other pain medications, and wouldn’t create withdrawal symptoms in patients.
The drugmaker has now admitted its public deception, agreeing to pay $635 million to settle charges of fraudulent marketing filed by one of Virginia’s State Attorneys.
Since being approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1995, OxyContin has become a highly sought after street drug in the eastern United States. The painkiller made regular headlines during the late ‘90s and early 2000s as reports of teen abuse, pharmacy robberies, and high-profile addictions proliferated in the media.
The settlement is reminiscent of the case against the tobacco industry, in which “Big Tobacco” agreed to pay $246 billion for misleading the public about the health risks of smoking.
Headline
Court papers revealed that Purdue Frederick knew as early as 1995 that doctors had misgivings about OxyContin’s potential for addiction and abuse. The drugmaker earned $2.8 billion in OxyContin sales from 1996 to 2001.
Source: The Washington Post
The plea agreement calls for Purdue Frederick to pay a total of $591.4 million. Additionally, company executives Michael Friedman is ordered to pay $19 million, Howard Udell will pay $8 million, and Dr. Paul Goldenheim will pay $7.5 million. Document in pdf format.
Source: Pharma.com
In its public statement, Purdue tried to distance itself from liability for the abuse of OxyContin: “Any attempt to connect the agreed to plea of misbranding by Purdue with abuse and
diversion of OxyContin is completely false.” Document in pdf format.
diversion of OxyContin is completely false.” Document in pdf format.
Source: Pharma.com
Reactions
In a press release following Purdue’s guilty plea, prosecuting U.S. Attorney John Brownlee summed up the drugmaker’s crimes: “Even in the face of warnings from health care professionals, the media, and members of its own sales force that OxyContin was being widely abused and causing harm to our citizens, Purdue, under the leadership of its top executives, continued to push a fraudulent marketing campaign.”
Source: U.S. Department of Justice official Web site
Sidney M. Wolfe, MD, Director of the Health Research Group of Public Citizen had a mixed reaction to the plea saying that although the penalties “send an important message to the drug industry that this kind of malicious, death-dealing behavior will not be tolerated.
… The message could have been much stronger.”
… The message could have been much stronger.”
Source: Public Citizen official Web site
Background
In an area south of Boston, more and more young adults who have experimented with OxyContin are becoming heroin addicts. According to the Boston Globe, addicts said that after experimenting with and becoming addicted to the powerful painkiller in high school, they turned to heroin once the pills got too expensive.
Source: The Boston Globe (free registration required)
In 2005, Time magazine chronicled the harmful impact OxyContin addiction had on Tazewell County, Virginia. The 520 square mile plot of Appalachia countryside had seen the number of addiction related robberies, burglaries, and thefts shoot up 48% in only five years.
Source: Time Magazine
In 2005, NPR reported on the rising numbers of teenagers developing OxyContin addictions. According to a survey cited in the article, 1 in 20 high school seniors admitted to taking the powerful painkiller, marking a 40 percent increase over the previous three years.
Source: National Public Radio
In a 2004 article, Slate examined how the frenzy of media attention surrounding OxyContin abuse may have distorted the reality of the problem. The article criticizes the media for misrepresenting the OxyContin addicts featured in prominent papers across the country: “the entire OxyContin "epidemic" is based on a false narrative that asserts that the majority of OxyContin addicts begin as drug-naive pain patients.”
Source: Slate
Notable Addicts
Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D- R.I.) admitted that he had an OxyContin addiction on NBC’s Today Show in March 2007. Kennedy, the son of Sen. Ed Kennedy (D-Mass.), said that he empathized “with millions of Americans who feel that sense of shame at calling themselves addicts and alcoholics.” Video and story.
Source: MSNBC
In October 2003, Rush Limbaugh revealed on his radio program that he had become addicted to OxyContin after an unsuccessful spinal surgery. The announcement came after Limbaugh’s name came up during an investigation into a Florida black market drug ring.
Source: CNN
Related Topics
In a similar case during the 1990s, a number of states sued the tobacco industry for misleading the public about the health risks of smoking. “Big Tobacco” decided to settle the charges out of court, paying a total of $246 billion dollars to the states involved. Although that money was supposed to go to treating sick smokers and funding antismoking campaigns, CBS News revealed in 2005 that very little of the money had reached its intended recipients.
Source: CBS News
Former New York mayor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani and his consulting firm Giuliani Partners have been advising the Purdue Frederick Co. during the proceedings.
Source: CBS News
Former New York mayor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani and his consulting firm Giuliani Partners have been advising the Purdue Frederick Co. during the proceedings.
Source: ABC News blog "The Blotter"
Pain-management doctor William E. Hurwitz was recently convicted on 16 counts of drug trafficking for over prescribing OxyContin and other powerful painkillers.
Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune
Reference Material
OxyContin, like heroin, is an opiate. Opiates work by attaching to proteins called opioid receptors and blocking the transmission of pain messages to the brain.
Source: Institute for Substance Abuse Treatment Evaluation Web site
Opiates, like endorphins naturally produced in the human body, act as neurotransmitters in the brain, affecting people’s behavior and perception.
Source: Canadian Institutes of Health Research Web site
The Food and Drug Administration has a large body of information about OxyContin; most of the files are in PDF format.
Source: The Food and Drug Administration Web site
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