Purdue Pharma LP has announced that it will cease the promotion of its opioids, including OxyContin, to physicians and will reduce the size of its sales force by half.
“We have restructured and significantly reduced our commercial operation and will no longer be promoting opioids to prescribers,” the Stamford-based company said in a statement.
Reuters reported that physicians with opioid-related questions will be directed to Purdue Pharma”™s medical affairs department. The company”™s remaining sales representatives will concentrate on marketing nonopioid products, including Symproic, a drug designed to treat opioid-induced constipation.
Fourteen states have filed lawsuits against Purdue Pharma, claiming its allegedly deceptive marketing of prescription opioids contributed to the ongoing opioid crisis. The U.S. Attorney”™s Office in Connecticut is also investigating the company. For its part, the company insisted that its drugs have U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval and accounted for only 2 percent of all opioid prescriptions.
