Wisconsin is joining several other states in a lawsuit against Perdue Pharma, the creator of OxyContin.
Attorney general Josh Kaul says the company and its leader Richard Sackler conspired to deceive the public about the drug to push sales.
“Benefits of opioids were overstated in an effort to change the culture regarding the prescription of opioids, to reduce the reluctance that the public had in taking opioids and the reluctance that prescribers had in prescribing opioids.”
Kaul says the push for profits started the opioid drug crisis in America. “Their conduct constitutes a public nuisance.”
“This was not inevitable. We allege that the opioid epidemic is in part attributable to the deceptive marketing practices of Perdue Pharma, which Richard Sackler played a significant role in directing and overseeing.”
Iowa, Kansas, Maryland and West Virginia are all joining in the lawsuit.
