The number of lawsuits filed by states against Purdue Pharma L.P., the maker of prescription painkiller Oxycontin, continues to grow as Colorado’s attorney general on Thursday became the latest to sue the company for its role in the nation’s opioid crisis
Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, in a statement, accused Purdue Pharma of violating the state’s consumer protection law, saying the company ignited the epidemic through “fraudulent and deceptive marketing of prescription opioids.”
“Purdue unleashed a surge of prescription opioids on Coloradans while hiding the facts about their drugs’ addictive properties,” Coffman said. “Their corporate focus on making money took precedence over patients’ long-term health, and Colorado has been paying the price in loss of life and devastation of its communities as they struggle to address the ongoing opioid crisis.”
Colorado is just the latest state to target pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid epidemic. Purdue Pharma, in particular, has faced scrutiny, with multiple states, including North Carolina and New Jersey, filing lawsuits against the drugmaker in the past year.
Coffman, in her statement, alleges Purdue Pharma misled health care providers and consumers about the addiction risks associated with its painkillers, arguing that through its marketing of drugs, like OxyContin, the company “sought to flood Colorado with prescription opioids.”
A spokesman for Purdue Pharma said the company denies the allegations in the Colorado attorney general’s lawsuit.
“The state claims Purdue acted improperly by communicating with prescribers about scientific and medical information that FDA has expressly considered and continues to approve,” Bob Josephson said in a statement. “We believe it is inappropriate for the state to substitute its judgment for the judgment of the regulatory, scientific and medical experts at FDA.”
Earlier this year, as lawsuits against the company built up, Purdue Pharma said it would no longer market opioid painkillers to doctors.
The opioid crisis has taken its toll on communities across the nation, and Colorado has not been left unscathed.
Roughly 1,012 Coloradans died from drug poisoning last year. Of those deaths, 373 were from opioid painkillers. In 2016, 912 people died from drug poisoning, including 300 from opioid medications, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
As the epidemic has continued to hit communities big and small, states governments have responded to the crisis by filing lawsuits against the pharmaceutical companies responsible for making and marketing opioids.
Cities and counties, such as Huerfano County, also have turned to suing the firms, claiming they are to blame for the rise in overdoses and deaths from opioids. Other communities in the state, including Denver, have taken steps toward legal action.
It’s possible more litigation could be filed by the state against other pharmaceutical companies, Coffman said in an interview, noting that Colorado is part of a coalition of more than 40 states investigating opioid manufacturers and distributors.
The aim of such lawsuits is to get settlements that will enable government entities to direct funds toward resources that will help communities combat the crisis, such as for treatment services, she said.
“These folks know that they perpetuated the crisis, but nobody is ready with their checkbook to say we’re going to own this and we’re going to write the checks to help provide treatment and recovery services,” Coffman said.
