Purdue Pharma Considers Addiction Medicines
Hundreds of thousands dead Many other lives have been ruined by addictions that refuse to go away. The opioid epidemic is a story that too many Americans are familiar with. Things may never be the way they were for those who are affected. Opioids affect Americans of all ages, often leading to fatal overdoses. One of the companies that sold doctors new pain medications and then supplied vast amounts of opioids to pharmacies now wants to profit from the chaos they started. Families are seeking justice at a time when the company is turning its back on the problem it helped create and making more money from those they have hurt.
Purdue Pharma, the Opioid Epidemic
Buy Oxycontin Online was introduced to the market around 20 years back, thanks to fears about the popularity of popular painkillers such as Vicodin and Purdue Pharma’s aggressive and opportunistic marketing. The company lied about the drug’s 12-hour duration from the beginning, despite their studies that proved otherwise. The company began to receive pushback long before the opioid epidemic became a national concern. West Virginia sued the company for its sales and marketing tactics in 2001. Purdue Pharma paid the state $10,000,000 and then moved on. Purdue Pharma’s next problem arose in 2007 when the US Government accused Purdue of failing to disclose the addiction risks associated with OxyContin. The company was fined $600 million, and warning labels were added. But they continued to push their drug. Even though opioid prescriptions peaked around 2012, nearly 20% of Americans received opioid prescriptions in 2016. The government took notice of the excessive number of prescriptions. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), since 2014, has sponsored the “National Prescription Take-Back Day” to reduce the number of unused opiates that are being passed from families to desperate users. Purdue Pharma’s marketing team targeted “high prescribers” who flooded their patients’ opioid prescriptions. This kept the supply high. The addiction rates increased, particularly in rural areas, which, according to trends, were the places with the highest prescription rates. Purdue Pharma continued to sell billions of dollars of opioids annually, pay out large bonuses, and work to weaken DEA oversight powers. Around 70,000 Americans overdosed in 2016. Nearly 50,000 had overdosed on opioids.
Profits increase with more addiction.
As addiction rates soared, cities, states, and addiction treatment providers sought alternatives. Harm reduction, or methods that help addicts be safer and start their recovery path, has led to the proliferation of needle exchanges. Buprenorphine is a popular drug for MAT. It’s a slow-acting opioid that helps opioid users reduce the intensity of withdrawal. Buprenorphine is tightly regulated, even though it doesn’t cause addiction because it does not provide a lot of high. Purdue Pharma has added another obstacle to users trying to get the drug. After being granted a patent on a new form of buprenorphine, they sued Indivior for selling and creating a similar drug. They didn’t even have a rival product but didn’t want others to copy their idea. Purdue Pharma’s decision not to develop a competing product is hard to explain. They may have been trying to profit from the addictions they created or prolonging addiction to sell more products. Internal emails reveal that Purdue Pharma has been exploring the possibility of selling drugs that help with addiction recovery for a long time. They could then make a profit on OxyContin, which could lead to an addiction …. and target doctors who prescribe many drugs for people’s recovery.
Face Legal Consequences
Purdue Pharma has been sued by state Attorneys General, counties, cities, and tribes for promoting opioids even though they knew the drugs were being misused. Plaintiffs accuse Purdue Pharma of misrepresenting their products. Sales reps, claiming that OxyContin was “less addictive” than similar painkillers and other drugs, targeted specific doctors to increase prescriptions. Some sales reps may have lied about Buying Oxycontin Online high addiction potential and effectiveness. As the lawsuits proceed, more damaging information is emerging:
- The company’s blatant disrespect for the opioid addiction epidemic that their drugs helped to spark.
- Their covert collaborations with other pharmaceuticals created advocacy groups that championed the usage of opioids as pain treatments.
- The vast payouts were made to the Sacklers, who owned Purdue Pharma between 2008-2016.
Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers have made a settlement that includes a multi–billion-dollar payout, a restructuring of the company, and the resignation of Sacklers. It also offers free access to addiction drugs the company is developing.
Addiction Help is Here to Help You!
In early September, news broke that Purdue Pharma would probably file for bankruptcy because the plaintiffs’ lawyers could not settle. Getting the compensation they need would be more difficult for those hurt by Purdue Pharma’s recklessness. We’re still waiting to see how this situation plays out. But we are working day in and day out to help those who need it. Don’t feel ashamed if you or someone close to you has battled addictions, whether to opioids or another substance. There are many Americans who have been down this path and survived. We will continue to provide healthy alternatives for managing mental health issues and substance abuse as long as pharmaceutical companies promote dangerous drugs
