MedWatch -  The FDA comes down hard on Purdue Pharma 
 
Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 13:53:00 -0500 (CDT)


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Vince Boehm  ***

*
*FYI  - Purdue Pharma?  It's official.  **Criminal charges and civil 
liabilities have been brought against Purdue Pharma in connection with 
several illegal schemes to promote, market and sell OxyContin, a 
powerful prescription pain reliever that the company produces.
*
*(from the Purdue website <http://www.pharma.com/>  *  -  *  Purdue 
Pharma L.P., **a privately held pharmaceutical company founded by 
physicians, is focused on the needs of patients. Together with Purdue 
Products L.P. and other independent associated companies, Purdue* is 
dedicated to finding, developing, and bringing to market new medicines 
and related products that promote health and healing. We are known for 
our pioneering research on persistent pain, a principal cause of human 
suffering.*

*Vince*

    http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2007/safety07.htm#OxyContin

    MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting
    Program

    FDA informed healthcare professionals of criminal charges and civil
    liabilities brought against Purdue Frederick in connection with
    several illegal schemes to promote, market and sell OxyContin, a
    powerful prescription pain reliever that the company produces. The
    manufacturer's sales force was trained to make false claims about
    the product to healthcare professionals, thereby, misbranding
    OxyContin by illegally promoting the drug as being less addictive,
    less subject to abuse, and less likely to cause tolerance and
    withdrawal than other pain medications.  These practices falsely
    promote the product and may cause
    health risks for consumers.

    Read the complete 2007 Safety summary, including a link to the FDA Press

    Release regarding this issue at:                                    
                                      
    http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2007/safety07.htm#OxyContin

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