OxyContin Admaker Pays $350-M In Opioid Settlement

For the first time, an advertising company that worked on Purdue Pharma’s OxyContin account has settled a lawsuit accusing it of falsely marketing opioids as safe, reported David Goldman for CNN.

Publicis, from 2010 through 2019, worked with consultancy McKinsey to develop Purdue’s “Evolve to Excellence” campaign, which advertised OxyContin to doctors who were most frequently prescribing the opioid. I Image: Publicis

Publicis, a French marketing company, agreed to pay $350 million within the next two months and will not take on any more opioid clients, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James.

She and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser led the settlement negotiations, which included a consortium of eight other states.

“For a decade, Publicis helped opioid manufacturers like Purdue Pharma convince doctors to overprescribe opioids, directly fueling the opioid crisis and causing the devastation of communities nationwide,” said James in a statement.

Publicis, from 2010 through 2019, worked with consultancy McKinsey to develop Purdue’s “Evolve to Excellence” campaign, which advertised OxyContin to doctors who were most frequently prescribing the opioid.

For its alleged role in the opioid crisis, McKinsey in 2021 agreed to pay $573 million to states as part of multiple settlements.

The “Evolve to Excellence” marketing scheme bombarded doctors with messages that falsely claimed OxyContin deterred addiction and abuse and pushed physicians to increase patients’ doses – even when not medically appropriate, James said.

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