New York AG files opioid lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, J&J, McKesson

George Frey | Reuters

Bottles of prescription painkiller OxyContin made by Purdue Pharma LP sit on a shelf at a local pharmacy in Provo, Utah, April 25, 2017.

The New York Attorney General is suing OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, McKesson Corp. and other opioid makers and drug distributors in a massive new legal fight against the industry.

The lawsuit accuses six opioid manufacturers, the Sackler family and four prescription drug distributors of using false and deceptive marketing and unlawfully diverting drugs “for creating the opioid epidemic that has ravaged New York, causing widespread addiction, overdose deaths, and suffering,” according to a statement from the AG’s office.

“We found that pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors engaged in years of deceptive marketing about the risks of opioids and failed to exercise their basic duty to report suspicious behavior, leading to the crisis we are living with today,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.

The news comes after Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family agreed to pay $270 million to the state of Oklahoma after it alleged the drug maker ruthlessly marketed and mislead the public about Oxycontin.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.