Albany -- New York State has received $7.26 million in damages from the makers of OxyContin for misrepresenting the dangers of the drug. The payment, from Purdue Pharma, L.P., and associated entity The Purdue Frederick Company, Inc., comes as a consequence of a federal prosecution that charged the companies with misrepresenting the narcotic painkiller’s potential for abuse and addiction, and an accompanying civil settlement.

“This is a dangerous, deadly drug with a well-documented history of causing addiction in its users,” Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said. “Nevertheless, Purdue actively promoted OxyContin as a safe and less-addictive alternative to other painkillers. These payments send a clear message that such abuse of trust in the interest of profit-making will not be tolerated.”

Purdue taught sales managers that OxyContin produced less euphoria in users and had less potential for abuse than short-acting opioid medications. Prosecutors alleged that Purdue’s own internal research contradicted these claims. A great deal of highly publicized anecdotal evidence further cast doubt on this characterization of OxyContin.