The marketing of an addictive drug

[Guest guest]

OxyContin maker, execs plead guilty from news ROANOKE, Va. -

The maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin and three of its

current and former executives pleaded guilty Thursday to misleading

the public about the drug's risk of addiction, a federal prosecutor

and the company said.

 

 

 

Purdue Pharma L.P. and the executives will pay $634.5 million in

fines, U.S. Attorney John Brownlee said in the news release.

 

The plea comes two days after the Stamford, Conn.-based company

agreed to pay $19.5 million to 26 states and the District of

Columbia to settle complaints that it encouraged physicians to

overprescribe OxyContin.

 

" With its OxyContin, Purdue unleashed a highly abusable, addictive,

and potentially dangerous drug on an unsuspecting and unkowing

public, " Brownlee said. " For these misrepresentations and crimes,

Purdue and its executives have been brought to justice. "

http://news./s/ap/20070510/ap_on_bi_ge/oxycontin_plea

A look into the lengths drug companies will go to create a

market.More info at the NYT

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/11/business/11drug-web.html?

ex=1336536000 & en=0caa2929e2c35907 & ei=5088 & partner=rssnyt & emc=rss

Thanks Vince