| OxyContin Class Action |
The United States Food and Drug Administration approved OxyContin in 1995. In 1996, Health Canada followed suit and approved the drug as a prescription opioid.
From its introduction until 2001, the manufacturer Purdue Pharma claimed OxyContin was safer than other prescription opioids. OxyContin was marketed as an effective, long-lasting and powerful narcotic with the ability to relieve severe pain for up to 12 hours. Purdue Pharma billed the drug as being less addictive, less subject to abuse, and less likely to produce withdrawal symptoms compared to similar pain medications.
Dependence and Addiction
Despite the Defendants’ marketing, the use of OxyContin comes with a risk of life-changing negative consequences. OxyContin has the ability to produce drug dependency. Those who take the drug repeatedly can rapidly develop a tolerance to it. Such patients require progressively larger and more frequent doses to cover their underlying pain. If the dose or method of administration is inappropriate, death can occur. In comparison to morphine, OxyContin active ingredient, oxycodone, is twice as potent.
Although it is possible to detox or “go cold turkey” from OxyContin, many patients struggle to do so because of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms and psychological cravings. Withdrawal symptoms include severe anxiety, insomnia, profuse sweating, muscle spasms, chills, shivering, and tremors. Fear of withdrawal symptoms can often prevent patients from using such non-medically assisted detoxification. Even after a successful detoxification, some people find it difficult to maintain abstinence, and subsequently relapse.
The Fallout
The extent of of Purdue Pharma's dishonesty in the marketing of OxyContin became publicly known in May 2007, when the company and three of its current and former executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges that it had misled doctors and patients when it claimed the drug was less likely to be abused than traditional narcotics.
Class Action Litigation
On July 23, 2008, Docken and Company filed a class proceeding in the Court of Queens Bench on behalf of all persons in Alberta who were prescribed and purchased and/or used OxyContin.
If you were prescribed, purchased or used OxyContin please please sign up for our class action using our simple "Do I Have a Case?" sign up form .
For more information on OxyContin please visit:
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