Senator calls for investigation of Purdue Pharma following Times story on OxyContin

A U.S. senator on Friday called for federal investigations of OxyContin’s manufacturer in response to a Los Angeles Times report that found the bestselling painkiller wears off early in many patients, exposing them to increased risk of addiction. “They raise questions about ongoing deception by Purdue, harm to the public, continued costs to the United States, and the availability of further judicial recourse against Purdue…” In a separate letter to the heads of the FDA and FTC, Markey called OxyContin “a leading culprit in the current opioid and heroin overdose epidemic.” More than 194,000 people have died from overdoses involving opioid painkillers since 1999 and abuse of those drugs is blamed for the resurgence in heroin addiction in the U.S. Markey said the agencies should “proactively warn prescribers, patients, and the general public” about problems the newspaper identified with OxyContin. In a statement, the company said Purdue shared Markey’s concerns about the opioid epidemic, but noted that the FDA approved OxyContin as a 12-hour drug. We need to know if Purdue once again lied about the longevity of OxyContin’s pain-relieving properties and hold Purdue accountable.” Markey’s focus on opioids reflects Massachusetts’ severe problem with painkillers and heroin, which has been embraced by many prescription drug addicts as a cheaper alternative to pills. In his letter to Lynch, Markey wrote that “if warranted” the Justice Department should try to recoup “taxpayer dollars that federal healthcare programs may have needlessly and unnecessarily spent on OxyContin prescriptions.” ALSO Maker of painkiller OxyContin loses legal battle to keep lawsuit records secret You asked, we answered: The best from our Reddit Q&A on OxyContin Tell us your story: Do you have an experience with OxyContin, or do you know someone who has?