A Small Class-Action Lawsuit Could Stop the US Opioid Epidemic

May 10, 2017

(New Scientist) – PURDUE PHARMA, the maker of painkiller OxyContin, last week settled a $20 million lawsuit brought against it by a Canadian province. It is a relatively trivial amount for a firm worth billions, but it could be part of a death by a thousand cuts. Since Purdue released OxyContin just over 20 years ago, the company has made more than $31 billion from it. But the drug has been linked to an opioid addiction epidemic that has swept Canada and the US. And there have been claims Purdue didn’t accurately describe the addictive potential of the opioid analgesic, which also induces euphoria and reduces anxiety.