OxyContin

[ahk-see-kahn-tn, ahk-see-kahn-tn]

Pharmacology, Trademark.

1. a brand of oxycodone.

OxyContin

/ ˌɒksɪˈkɒntɪn /

noun

1. an opiate drug, oxycodone hydrochloride, used as a painkiller and, illegally, as an alternative to heroin

Word History and Origins

Origin of OxyContin¹

First recorded in 1990–95; oxy- ² ( def. ) + contin(uous) ( def. ), perhaps after the controlled-release nature of the drug

Example Sentences

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, blamed for helping to fuel a deadly opioid crisis, said Friday that a US bankruptcy judge will sign off on a deal to settle thousands of lawsuits against the company, which will cease to exist.

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For many people, opioid addiction begins with prescribed pain pills, such as OxyContin, before they increase their consumption and eventually turn to illicit drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, an extremely powerful synthetic opioid.

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Purdue Pharma won bankruptcy court approval for an opioid-related settlement of at least $7.4 billion, clearing a path for the OxyContin maker to exit its six-year bankruptcy and resolve mass lawsuits by governments, healthcare providers and individuals.

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Purdue filed for chapter 11 in 2019, overwhelmed by lawsuits against the company and its Sackler family owners over the role of its flagship painkiller OxyContin in fueling opioid abuse.

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After it launched the prescription opioid OxyContin in the 1990s, Purdue became one of the most recognizable names in treating pain.

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