Chapter
Purdue Pharma Misrepresented Oxycontin Strength to Increase Sales
26:14 - 30:53 (04:38)
Purdue Pharma purposely avoided emphasizing Oxycontin as a powerful pain medication, out of concern that non-cancer patients would be reluctant to take a cancer drug. However, a Massachusetts lawsuit against the company alleges that doctors were led to the crucial misconception that Oxycontin was weaker than morphine, which led them to prescribe the drug much more often, resulting in the ongoing opioid epidemic.
Clips
The marketing strategy behind Oxycontin involved creating the misconception that the drug was weaker than morphine, leading doctors to prescribe it more often for non-cancer pain.
26:14 - 27:58 (01:44)
Summary
The marketing strategy behind Oxycontin involved creating the misconception that the drug was weaker than morphine, leading doctors to prescribe it more often for non-cancer pain. Company executives were aware of this false impression and saw correcting it as bad for business.
ChapterPurdue Pharma Misrepresented Oxycontin Strength to Increase Sales
EpisodePart One: The Sackler Family: America's Deadliest Drug Dealers
PodcastBehind the Bastards
Newly released documents from lawsuits in Kentucky and Massachusetts show that Richard Sackler played a significant role in Purdue Pharma's strategy to downplay Oxycontin's strength in order to increase sales, despite acknowledging its addictive properties.
27:58 - 29:54 (01:55)
Summary
Newly released documents from lawsuits in Kentucky and Massachusetts show that Richard Sackler played a significant role in Purdue Pharma's strategy to downplay Oxycontin's strength in order to increase sales, despite acknowledging its addictive properties.
ChapterPurdue Pharma Misrepresented Oxycontin Strength to Increase Sales
EpisodePart One: The Sackler Family: America's Deadliest Drug Dealers
PodcastBehind the Bastards
A deposition revealed that Richard Sackler, former vice president of Purdue Pharma, denied his involvement in tricking doctors into overprescribing Oxycontin.
29:54 - 30:53 (00:59)
Summary
A deposition revealed that Richard Sackler, former vice president of Purdue Pharma, denied his involvement in tricking doctors into overprescribing Oxycontin. He argued that lawyers were misconstruing words in email threads and that Purdue executives did not deceive doctors about the potency and risks of the opioid.