An investigation by the Los Angeles Times has revealed that the pharmaceutical company that sells the opiate painkiller OxyContin knew the drug was highly addictive — but pushed it anyway.

Purdue Pharma began producing the pills two decades ago, claiming that it relieved severe, chronic pain for 12 continuous hours — more twice the time of generic drugs. Representatives of the drug’s maker promised doctors that patients would only have to take two pills a day for 24-hour pain relief.

But it wasn’t true, and Purdue knew it, the Times reveals.

The results were excruciating and devastating. OxyContin wears off hours early in many patients, and along with their underlying pain returning, they also suffer the additional complication of drug withdrawal symptoms.

OxyContin is described by the Times as a “chemical cousin” of heroin, and patients who depend on it also experience an intense craving for the drug when it wears off early.

The Times obtained thousands of pages of confidential Purdue documents and learned company executives have known about the problem for decades.

“Even before OxyContin went on the market, clinical trials showed […]