The healthcare arm of French advertising giant Publicis has agreed to pay $350 million in a settlement alleging that its past marketing efforts against drug companies helped fuel the U.S. opioid crisis.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said Thursday, February 1, 2024, that Publicis Health, one of the world's largest health advertising agencies, has committed “predatory and deceptive marketing” regarding Purdue Pharma's opioids. announced that it would pay $350 million to resolve allegations that it developed a strategy. The attorney general's office announced that the settlement is the first of its kind involving an advertising agency.
The settlement, which involved Publicis Health, a subsidiary of France-based Publicis Groupe SA, was the result of a “coalition” made up of “all attorneys general in the country” co-led by James, according to a news release. there were.
Comprehensive settlement with all 50 state attorneys general, the District of Columbia, and some U.S. territories, primarily related to past work done by former advertising agency Rosetta for opioid manufacturers. An agreement was reached, bringing an end to nearly three years of discussions.
“The Attorney General recognizes Publicis Health's good faith and responsible corporate citizenship in reaching this resolution,” Publicis said in a statement.
As the former owner of Rosetta, which closed 10 years ago, Publicis Health issued the following statement:
“After three years of negotiations, this settlement brings the matter to an end with a net payment of €148 million. The entire settlement amount will contribute quickly and directly to national opioid relief efforts.
The settlement is an acknowledgment by the attorney general of Publicis Health's “good faith and responsible corporate citizenship” and is in no way an admission of wrongdoing or liability. If necessary, we will defend ourselves against any claims not resolved by this Agreement.
“The drug companies' work covered by this settlement has always been in full compliance with the law. This research was primarily conducted by Rosetta, a small agency that closed a decade ago. , the company was already working with a pharmaceutical company that makes opioid drugs when it acquired the company 13 years ago in 2011. The company's work related to these products is for use only by healthcare providers. Consumers use communication tools and language that have been expressly approved by the FDA.Rosetta's role has been used to this day by the large private insurance company Medicare. was limited to performing many of the standard advertising services that agents provide to customers for products covered by the State Board of Pharmacy and licensed by the State Board of Pharmacy.
“We recognize the broader context in which that lawful work took place. Combating the opioid crisis in the United States requires collaboration across industry, lawmakers, and communities, and we is committed to playing that role. That's why we worked hard to reach this agreement, and why we reaffirm our long-standing decision to reject any future opioid-related projects. there is.”
