Makers of OxyContin to Pay $270 Million in Oklahoma Opioid Lawsuit

Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, has agreed to a $270 million settlement in a lawsuit brought by the Oklahoma attorney general, according to CNN. The New York Times reports that this settlement is considerably higher than those of earlier lawsuits in different states, including a settlement between Purdue Pharma and Kentucky of $24 million in 2015.

Purdue Pharma was accused of deceptive marketing and aggressive promotion that downplayed the OxyContin’s addictive properties. The settlement comes two months before the scheduled trial date at the end of May, in which the trial was to be televised in Oklahoma, as NBC News explains in its coverage of the lawsuit. The New York Times gives context:

But the settlement also means that the public will not hear a full recounting of Purdue’s actions in promoting OxyContin to doctors and underplaying its addictive properties, including testimony by members of the Sackler family.

See doctors who help treat opioid dependence in Oklahoma City.