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Local mothers blame Purdue Pharma for sons' deaths
By Richard Lee
Assistant Business Editor
October 24, 2003
Wearing sandwich board signs with strong allegations such as "Purdue Profits Kill Our Kids," three women braved cold, blustery winds yesterday pacing in front of the headquarters of Purdue Pharma in Stamford to protest the impact painkiller OxyContin has had on their lives.
Two of the three women, Kay Kelley-Moretti of Westport and Milford, and Joan Sayers of East Haven, blamed physicians for unnecessarily prescribing OxyContin for their two sons, who died from overuse of the painkilling drug.
"You see these beautiful boys?" asked Kelley-Moretti, pointing to the photos of her son, Jason Kelley, and Sayers' son, Matthew Gersz, emblazoned on the boards they carried. "They are dead now because they became addicted to the highly addictive drug, OxyContin."
The two women contended that Purdue Pharma was at least partly responsible for their deaths, alleging that it did not properly train their doctors in the administration of the drug.
They also objected to Purdue Pharma's stance that the drug can be used to treat chronic moderate to severe pain, insisting that it be used only for those suffering excruciating pain.
"I spent three months in bed in grief wanting to die after losing my only child. I wanted to commit suicide," said Kelley-Moretti, whose son died four months ago at the age of 27 after a motorcycle accident. He was her only child.
When asked if she was considering a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, she declined to comment.
Gersz died two years ago after being treated for scoliosis with a variety of drugs, including OxyContin.
"My son was given this drug. He trusted his doctor. It's something you don't get over. Now we are dedicated to making a difference for others," said Sayers, asserting that Purdue Pharma is encouraging physicians to prescribe the drug.
Purdue Pharma conducts extensive training for physicians, said company spokesman Robin Hogen.
"We spend an enormous amount of time and money educating physicians," Hogen said, noting that 1.5 million people with moderate to severe pain are being treated with OxyContin.
Last year, the company recorded $1.27 billion in net OxyContin sales.
Last month, an advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration agreed that OxyContin, introduced in 1995, could be used to treat people in moderate to severe pain.
"It's up to the physician to determine how much pain you're in. It's subjective," Hogen said. "Since 1996, we've been holding seminars, symposiums and grand rounds for physicians on a daily basis. We've made CD-ROMs for physicians. We believe we've done more to educate physicians, pharmacists and nurses on proper pain management than any other company. We've trained thousands of medical care professionals."
In response to a rash of thefts of the prescription drug by abusers who crush the tablets and snort the powder for a short-term high, Purdue Pharma developed the Rx Action Alliance and enlisted the aid of Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor to organize drug companies, law enforcement officials and others to study prescription drug abuse.
Pharmacy break-ins were reported, particularly in rural areas in the East and South, and despite Purdue Pharma's efforts to curb abuse of the drug, it has been sued more than 100 times.
Last month, 11 people in Illinois filed personal injury lawsuits against the company, alleging that they became addicted to OxyContin after taking it as prescribed. They are seeking damages of at least $50,000 on each of six counts.
Hogen said the company has had a spotless record in similar lawsuits.
"We've had 50 lawsuits that made more or less the same allegations, and they disappear. They were dismissed or dropped," he said. "None have gone to trial."
Copyright � 2003, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.
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