The company that makes oxycontin will stop promoting it to physicians on Monday.
Purdue Pharma also said, in a weekend announcement, that it’s cutting its sales force in half. The move came after Purdue Pharma and other drugmakers faced a string of lawsuit from state and local governments.
Oxycontin is a highly addictive opioid. Some lawsuits accused Purdue Pharma of downplaying its risks, while overstating its benefits as a painkiller.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that opioids were involved in more than 42,000 deaths in the United States in 2016. Purdue Pharma, however, denies wrongdoing. The company says its products account for only two percent of opioids prescribed nationwide.
