LAWSUITS ACCUSE OXYCONTIN MAKER

Some Plaintiffs Say They Became Hooked Using The Correct Dosage. The
Company Calls That Unlikely.

The maker of OxyContin has been hit with at least 13 lawsuits from patients
who say they have become addicted to the painkiller and others who want to
hold the company responsible for a wave of overdoses and deaths among abusers.

"This drug has been like a cancer attacking the very fabric of our little
corner of the world," said Ira Branham, a lawyer and state legislator from
Pikeville, Ky., who is suing on behalf of three people and the estate of a
dead woman.

He said the responsibility should "fall on the shoulders of the company
that was the genesis of this problem."

OxyContin, America's best-selling narcotic painkiller, is made by Purdue
Pharma LP of Stamford, Conn.

Many of the plaintiffs say they received OxyContin legitimately and became
addicted by taking the prescribed dose. Other lawsuits seek to hold the
company responsible for illegal use of the drug, which has become a deadly
scourge in some parts of the country, especially Appalachia.

Among those suing is West Virginia, which alleges Purdue Pharma violated
state consumer law. "They were telling doctors that OxyContin was far less
addictive than other painkillers in this class of drugs," said Doug Davis,
an assistant attorney general in West Virginia.

"Now, we have a lot of people addicted to OxyContin in West Virginia,"
Davis said. "So was that a misleading statement? Yeah."

Purdue Pharma spokesman James Heins disputed the allegations, saying
victims were using the drug illegally or improperly.

Dr. J. David Haddox, senior medical director, said the chances of someone
becoming addicted when taking OxyContin as directed were extremely small.

"A lot of these people say, 'Well, I was taking the medicine like my doctor
told me to,' and then they start taking more and more and more," Haddox
said. "I don't see where that's my problem." Heins said he knew of at least
13 lawsuits since May.

Already, the billions of dollars in claims represent more than what Purdue
Pharma has made on OxyContin.

OxyContin is a slow-release narcotic that is prescribed for victims of
moderate to severe chronic pain from such ailments as arthritis, back
trouble and cancer.

One pill is designed to last 12 hours, but those who abuse OxyContin
usually crush it and then snort or inject it, producing a quick, heroinlike
high.

OxyContin abuse first became widespread in mountainous areas of Kentucky,
West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee and Maine. It has since spread to urban
centers, including the Philadelphia area, Boston and South Florida.

OxyContin abuse has been blamed for more than 100 deaths nationwide. Purdue
Pharma said that those estimates were unreliable and that in the vast
majority of those cases, the victims were abusing other drugs at the same time.

To try to curb illegal use, Purdue Pharma and the Food and Drug
Administration announced an agreement this week to place the strongest
warning possible on the painkiller.

The warning stresses to doctors that the pills are only for patients with
serious pain and that improper use can cause addiction and death.