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Purdue Frederick pleads guilty in OxyContin case

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Purdue Frederick Co. and three individuals pleaded guilty to charges of misbranding prescription painkiller OxyContin and will pay more than $634.5 million in penalties, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.

The company pleaded guilty to felony misbranding of OxyContin with the intent to defraud and mislead, while its president, chief legal officer and former chief medical officer pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of misbranding, the government said in a statement.

The Stamford, Connecticut-based company and the three admitted that they falsely claimed OxyContin was less addictive, less subject to abuse, and less likely to cause withdrawal symptoms than rival pain medications.

"Purdue (Frederick) put its desire to sell OxyContin above the interests of the public," Assistant Attorney General Peter Keisler said in a statement. "Purdue abused the drug approval process which relies on drug manufacturers to be forthright in reporting clinical data and, instead, misled physicians about the addiction and withdrawal issues involved with OxyContin."

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