OXYCONTIN SUIT FLAWED, FIRM SAYS

Seven Seeking $5.2 Billion

JONESVILLE - A multibillion-dollar lawsuit filed against the maker of the
painkiller OyxContin should be dismissed because class-action lawsuits are
illegal in Virginia, lawyers for the manufacturer said Wednesday.

Purdue Pharma Inc. filed a response in Lee County Circuit Court to the
lawsuit filed last month by seven Southwest Virginia residents who say they
have suffered as a result of OxyContin addictions.

William Eskridge of Abingdon, a lawyer for the company, said the case was
legally flawed.

"Virginia does not permit class-action lawsuits. On these and other
grounds, Purdue Pharma will seek to have the case dismissed," Eskridge said
in a news release.

"At the heart of this litigation is a transparent effort to demonize Purdue
Pharma and exploit the adverse publicity surrounding OxyContin, which will
only end up hurting legitimate pain patients," Eskridge said.

The lawsuit alleged that Purdue Pharma and four affiliates aggressively
marketed the painkiller while downplaying its risks.

The drug, a synthetic morphine often used to treat chronic pain in cancer
patients, has been linked to more than 120 deaths nationwide, including at
least 43 in Virginia.

The lawsuit calls for Purdue to pay more than $5.2 billion in compensatory
damages to the plaintiffs and would require the Connecticut pharmaceutical
company to set up rehabilitation facilities in the region and provide
ongoing medical monitoring for patients using the drug.

OxyContin is a time-release formulation of the painkiller oxycodone.
Authorities say many addicts abuse the drug by removing its protective
coating, releasing 12 hours worth of painkilling power at once.

Plaintiffs include Southwest Virginians who said they were prescribed the
drug for a variety of ailments and became addicted.