Five U.S. states filed lawsuits accusing Purdue Pharma of illegally marketing and selling opioids, escalating the wave of litigation over a nationwide abuse epidemic. Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, West Virginia and Wisconsin joined 39 states to file lawsuits targeting Purdue Pharma and its leaders, including former president Richard Sackler and his family.
Officials accused Purdue Pharma of repeatedly making false and deceptive claims that opioids, including OxyContin, were safe for a wide range of patients seeking to reduce pain.
Purdue Pharma called the new lawsuits “misleading attacks.” “These complaints are part of a continuing effort to try these cases in the court of public opinion rather than the justice system,” the Stamford, Connecticut-based company said.