Judge Rules Plaintiffs' Abuse of Painkiller Warrants Summary Judgment

LONDON, Ky. - OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma and Abbott Laboratories, the company that helped market the prescription painkiller, were awarded summary judgment after a federal judge found that the plaintiffs' addiction stemmed from their abuse of the drug. Amy Foister, et al., v. Purdue Pharma, L.P. et al., No. 01-268 (E.D. Ky., London Div.).

U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves' Dec. 30, 2003, opinion stated that OxyContin did not cause the plaintiffs' injuries, because seven of the eight plaintiffs in the case bypassed the drug's time-controlled release formulation by crushing or chewing the tablet and then either snorted or injected …