MacIver News Minute: UW’s Lucrative Relationship With Opioid Maker Purdue Pharma

February 12, 2019

When announcing a lawsuit against painkiller maker Purdue Pharma, Dane Co. executive Joe Parisi spoke of the trail of destruction the opioid crisis has left in its wake. But what he failed to mention was the cozy relationship the county’s largest employer, UW-Madison, had with Purdue during the rise of the crisis. That includes $1.6 million in grant funding – critics say the UW’s pain group conducted research advocacy, essentially serving as marketers rather than scientists.