On May 3, 2018, VHCF issued a press brief that advocated thr State of Vermont to take legal action against Purdue Pharma over the opioid crisis.
SEEKING RESTITUTION: State of Vermont v. Purdue Pharma
In 2007, Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to “misbranding” OxyContin and paid $600 million in fines. Three top company executives were criminally prosecuted and paid approximately $34 million in individual fines. However, $634 million is a paltry sum in comparison to the billons annually incurred by the US as a result of the devastation unleashed by OxyContin and other opioid abuse.
As individual and class action lawsuits against Big Pharma have not been particularly successful, several US cities and states are now pursuing legal action against Purdue Pharma and other opioid manufacturers.
- The New England Journal of Medicine: “Drug Companies’ Liability for the Opioid Epidemic” (Dec. 2017)
- City Lab: “The Cities Suing Big Pharma Over Opioids” (Oct. 2017)
Litigation by the State of Vermont represents the most feasible path to obtain restitution from Big Pharma.
If lawmakers in Montpelier are serious about holding Big Pharma accountable for its role in damaging entire communities and generations, then the Vermont’s State Attorney General should consider joining other cities and states across the nation in filing a lawsuit, and seeking criminal prosecution of pharmaceutical executives.