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 The state blamed Purdue for running what it called a reckless,
decades-long scheme to mislead doctors and patients by overstating
the ability of opioids to improve bodily function, while downplaying
the risk of addiction.
This enabled privately held Purdue to boost prescriptions and
profits, at the cost of lost lives and "devastation" in communities
now "awash" with the painkillers, according to the complaint filed
in the state supreme court in Suffolk County.
"The opioid epidemic was manufactured by unscrupulous distributors
who developed a $400 billion industry pumping human misery into our
communities," Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
"This lawsuit sends a clear message (to those) who mislead the
public to increase their profit margins that we will hold you
accountable," he added.
In a statement, Purdue denied New York's allegations but said it
shared the state's concerns about the "opioid crisis."
The Stamford, Connecticut-based company said the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration "continues to approve" of scientific and medical
information it has provided to doctors.
New York is seeking to impose civil fines, recoup profits and obtain
other damages, including for creating an alleged "criminal
nuisance."
Purdue sold $1.74 billion of OxyContin in 2017, according to
Symphony Health Solutions.
Opioid makers and distributors face hundreds of lawsuits by U.S.
states, counties and cities accusing them of using deceptive
marketing to sell the painkillers.
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New York joined at least 26 other U.S. states and Puerto Rico to sue
Purdue over opioids.
Connecticut is not among those states but has been part of a
41-state coalition investigating the opioid industry. Some of its
larger cities, including Bridgeport, New Haven and Waterbury, have
sued Purdue.
In January, New York City filed its own lawsuit seeking $500 million
from Purdue and seven other opioid makers and distributors to fight
the opioid crisis there.
Opioids, including prescription painkillers and heroin, played a
role in a record 42,249 U.S. deaths in 2016, according to the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This included at least 3,086 deaths in New York state and more than
1,100 in New York City.
In 2007, Purdue and three executives pleaded guilty to misbranding
OxyContin and agreed to pay $634.5 million to resolve a U.S.
Department of Justice investigation.
The case is New York v Purdue Pharma LP et al, New York State
Supreme Court, Suffolk County, No. 400016/2018.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Marguerita
Choy and Bernadette Baum)
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