![Painkiller. (L to R) John Ales as Dr. Gregory Fitzgibbons, West Duchovny as Shannon Shaeffer in episode 102 of Painkiller. Cr. Keri Anderson/Netflix ?? 2023](https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/25161828/SEI_168560948.jpg?width=1200)
Shannon Schaeffer (West Duchovny) plays a Purdue Pharma drug rep
KERI ANDERSON/NETFLIX
Painkiller
Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster
Netflix
IN DECEMBER 1995, the pharmaceuticals firm Purdue Pharma reached an important milestone: its new opioid, OxyContin, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate pain. One key aspect of the decision was a single sentence on the drug’s label claiming that its 12-hour delayed absorption was “believed” to reduce the likelihood of users becoming addicted to it.
This semantic sidestep is one of many stories told in Painkiller …