Judge: Tennessee case against Purdue Pharma can move forward

In this Aug. 17, 2018 photo, family and friends who have lost loved ones to OxyContin and opioid overdoses leave pill bottles in protest outside the headquarters of Purdue Pharma, which is owned by the Sackler family, in Stamford, Conn. The Sackler family's ties to OxyContin and the painkiller's role in the deadly opioid crisis are bringing the Sacklers a new kind of attention and complicating their philanthropic legacy. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) In this Aug. 17, 2018 photo, family and friends who have lost loved ones to OxyContin and opioid overdoses leave pill bottles in protest outside the headquarters of Purdue Pharma, which is owned by the Sackler family, in Stamford, Conn. The Sackler family's ties to OxyContin and the painkiller's role in the deadly opioid crisis are bringing the Sacklers a new kind of attention and complicating their philanthropic legacy. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

By Associated Press February 28, 2019 1 min read

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A lawsuit claiming Purdue Pharma engaged in deceptive marketing to increase opioid prescriptions, resulting in an epidemic, has the go-ahead from a Knox County judge.

The lawsuit brought by the state of Tennessee claims Purdue’s marketing violates the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act and constitutes a public nuisance. Tennessee says the government has borne the cost of the opioid epidemic through increased demand for law enforcement, emergency services, addiction treatment and social services.

Purdue, in a motion to dismiss the suit, argues that the company’s actions cannot be linked to the problems the state wants to hold it responsible for. It also says other parties are to blame, such as the doctors who prescribed the opioids.

In a ruling, Knox County Circuit Court Judge Kristi Davis denied the company’s motion Friday.