Purdue Pharmaceutical, the makers of OxyContin, and their owners the Sackler Brothers will pay a nearly $275 million settlement in a lawsuit brought by the State of Oklahoma. Nearly $200 million from the settlement will fund a new addiction treatment and research center at Oklahoma State University.
The suit, brought in 2017 by Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter, accuses Purdue, Johnson & Johnson and Teva Industries of marketing their opioid pain drugs deceptively by downplaying the risks of addiction while overstating their benefits. The settlement only covers Purdue, and claims are still pending against the other two companies, with the trial date still set for May 28.
