What was the "12-hour problem"?
Internal documents showed Purdue knew the drug wore off before 12 hours in many patients — and reportedly told sales representatives to recommend higher doses rather than more frequent dosing, reinforcing dependence while raising overdose risk.
Purdue marketed OxyContin as providing 12 hours of relief, allowing twice-daily dosing, a key competitive advantage. A Los Angeles Times investigation, summarised by CBS News, reported that internal documents showed Purdue knew the drug wore off before 12 hours in many patients; in clinical trials many patients requested extra doses, and in one FDA analysis a third of cancer patients dropped out because the drug was ineffective. Rather than recommend more frequent dosing, which would have undermined the 12-hour claim, Purdue reportedly told sales representatives to recommend higher doses. When a dose wears off early, patients can experience withdrawal between doses, which may reinforce dependence, while higher doses raise overdose risk. The reporting reshaped public understanding of how the drug may have fuelled dependence, and prompted calls from members of Congress, including Senator Ed Markey, for an investigation into potentially deceptive claims.