Purdue looked at weaponizing keywords to divert bad press

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma considered deflecting negative news with keywords as its weapons, the Los Angeles Times reports. As the company’s ties to the opioid epidemic were detailed in a series of Times stories, Purdue’s digital support team suggested driving traffic away from the newspaper by steering it to a friendly website. “By purchasing highly targeted strings of keywords that people are likely to use to find out more information about the articles, we can ensure that PurduePharmaFacts.com is at the top of a user’s search results,” an internal document stated.

In other Purdue news, the company agreed yesterday to provide access to its data in order to help Oklahoma State University researchers study drug addiction. Purdue is paying Oklahoma $270 million to settle allegations it fueled the opioid crisis.