Purdue Pharma no longer promoting OxyContin, as it distances itself from opioid crisis
OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma cut the remainder of its sales force this week, the latest move by the company to distance itself from opioids as it faces accusations that it contributed to the nation’s addiction crisis. The drug maker said it would retain about 550 employees after chopping about 350 positions, including about 250 employees focused on promoting the treatment for opioid-induced constipation, Symproic. That product was launched in 2017 in partnership with Japan-based Shionogi. The other employees worked at the company’s headquarters. In February, Purdue said it would stop promoting its opioid drugs to doctors, cutting its sales force by more than half. It was a retreat after years of criticism that the company’s aggressive sales efforts helped lay the foundation of the US addiction crisis. Purdue said in a statement that it would continue to research cancer and diversify into new areas, including the central nervous system. "While the development of important new medici...
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