Oregon OxyContin lawsuit remains on track amid massive settlement

Oklahoma on Tuesday settled a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma over the OxyContin manufacturer’s role in the over-prescribing of opioids leading to a national spike in overdoses. The lawsuit mirrors one Oregon has against Purdue, alleging the company targeted the elderly with misleading marketing ploys.

Oklahoma, one of about two-dozen states suing the makers of OxyContin, will get $270 million from Purdue.

Kristina Edmunson, spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Justice, declined to comment on whether the recent settlement could have an impact on Oregon’s case.

Purdue and its owners, the Sackler family, have come under intense scrutiny as more information has come out about deceptive practices and hiding knowledge of the addictive nature of OxyContin while prescription rates skyrocketed. The scandal mirrors that of the tobacco industry in the 1990s, which ended in an unprecedented settlement where cigarette makers pay states in perpetuity.

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