Alabama AG takes aim at Purdue Pharma with opioid lawsuit

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is accusing Purdue Pharma of illegally marketing and selling OxyContin and other opioid drugs.

The allegations come via a lawsuit filed Feb. 2 by the state against Purdue Pharma and two of the drugmakers subsidiaries. The suit alleges the company violated the state's Deceptive Trade Practices Act in the marketing and sale of opioid drugs, according to a Tuesday announcement from Mr. Marshall's office. The announcement states Alabama seeks monetary damages as well as injunctive relief.

"The opioid epidemic has devastated Alabama families, leaving a trail of addiction and death winding though every community of this state," Mr. Marshall said. "Alabama ranks first in the nation for the number of painkiller prescriptions per capita. As a result, it is estimated that almost 30,000 of our residents over age 17 are dependent upon heroin and prescription painkillers. Alabama's drug overdose death rate skyrocketed by 82 percent from 2006 to 2014 and it is believed that many of those deaths were from opioid painkillers and heroin."

"It will take years to undo the damage but an important first step we must take is to hold the parties responsible for this epidemic legally liable for the destruction they have unleashed upon our citizens," he said.

Mr. Marshall said he expects the suit will be part of national multidistrict litigation.

In the meantime, Purdue Pharma is denying the allegations.

"We are deeply troubled by the opioid crisis and we are dedicated to being part of the solution," the company said in a statement to Becker's Hospital Review. "As a company grounded in science, we must balance patient access to FDA-approved medicines, while working collaboratively to solve this public health challenge. Although our products account for approximately 2 percent of the total opioid prescriptions, as a company, we’ve distributed the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, developed the first FDA-approved opioid medication with abuse-deterrent properties and partner with law enforcement to ensure access to naloxone. We vigorously deny these allegations and look forward to the opportunity to present our defense."

Read the full suit here.

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