Indiana Sues OxyContin Maker Accusing It Of Contributing To Opioid Crisis

Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 7:41 AM

By Mike Perleberg @mikedup84

Purdue Pharma is being taken to court by the Indiana Attorney General's Office.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Add Indiana to the list of states suing a maker of opioid pain pills for its role in creating the opioid crisis.

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin.

Hill blames the company for the 90,000 people in Indiana who he says are battling an opioid addiction.

“This litigation is one additional tool in the state’s arsenal to combat the opioid crisis. My office is committed to holding companies that engage in unfair, abusive, and deceptive practices in Indiana accountable for their misconduct. The lawsuit against Purdue Pharma is the culmination of nearly two years of exhaustive investigation, depositions of former employees, interviews of prescribers across the state, and thorough review of company documents,” Hill said.

The State of Indiana lawsuit was filed in Marion County court. It alleges Purdue violated laws including Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, the Prescription Drug Discount and Benefit Cards Statute, the False Claims Act, and the Medicaid False Claims Act.

Hill’s office is asking a judge to order Purdue Pharma to stop the unlawful conduct. The state is also seeking maximum penalties, treble damages, and costs.

Dozens of other states across the country are also suing the companies that made and sold opioid pills.