ATTORNEY GENERAL DARRELL V. MCGRAW, JR.
PIONEERS SUIT AGAINST OXYCONTIN MAKERS

In an effort to stop the overly aggressive and deceptive marketing of OxyContin, Attorney General Darrell V. McGraw, Jr., will today file suit in McDowell County Circuit Court against the Purdue Frederick Co., Purdue Pharma. LP, Purdue Pharma Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Inc., and Abbot Laboratories, the manufacturers and chief promoters of the drug. OxyContin is a prescription medication given to cancer patients and those suffering from chronic, moderate to severe pain. With oxycodone--a member of the same family of drugs as opium and heroin--as one of its main ingredients, OxyContin is also one of the most commonly abused prescription medications in the Appalachian region.

In his suit, Attorney General McGraw alleges that, though they knew the dangers posed by misuse of OxyContin, the defendants willingly marketed the product in a coercive and deceptive manner in hopes of achieving a greater margin of profit and eventually an illegal monopoly on the narcotic pain medication market. Despite warnings from the FDA and questioning by the DEA, Purdue has continued to print misleading advertisements and promote the inappropriate use of OxyContin for minor pain. They have also made a practice of offering physicians expense-paid trips to "pain seminars" where they recruit their guests to give paid speeches on Purdue's behalf. Some representatives have even threatened pharmacists with legal actions for refusing to fill prescriptions for OxyContin, regardless if the pharmacist believed the prescription was for an Oxy abuser.

Due to their actions, Purdue's sales of OxyContin topped 1 billion dollars--an increase of 74%--last year alone, while the State of West Virginia has been forced to pay large sums of money to treat those who suffer from addiction and addiction side-effects caused by misuse of OxyContin. This misuse was encouraged by Purdue's own misrepresentations of their product.

The charges against the three defendants include violation of the West Virginia Consumer Protection Act and the Antitrust Act. They are asked to cease their aggressive and deceptive marketing techniques, pay damages in an amount sufficient to repay the state for medical costs incurred by misuses of OxyContin, and to establish a medical monitoring fund that will aid in recording, preventing, and halting OxyContin abuse.