Feb 11, 2018 - Health
Purdue Pharma will no longer promote opioids to doctors

- Erica Pandey, author ofAxios Finish Line

Oxycontin pills. Photo: Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Purdue Pharma will stop marketing opioids to doctors, Bloomberg reports. Oxycontin is one of the pharmaceutical giant's top-selling drugs, generating $1.8 billion in 2017. The company is also cutting 50% of its sales force to about 200 employees.
Why it matters: Oxycontin has been on the market for 22 years, and Purdue Pharma has been credited with aggressively promoting the drug and contributing to America's opioid epidemic.