An attorney for the company that makes the prescription opioid painkiller OxyContin says there is an opioid crisis.
But attorney Mark Cheffo says the state of Alaska has no legal basis for trying to pin that crisis on the company, Purdue Pharma.
Cheffo asked a state court judge in Anchorage on Thursday to dismiss the state's lawsuit against the Connecticut-based company.
Superior Court Judge Dani Crosby did not immediately rule and did not give a timeline for a decision.
Linda Singer, an attorney representing the state, told Crosby that Purdue should be accountable for its "fair share" of the problem.
The state sued Purdue and its affiliates last year, alleging deceptive marketing practices.
Similar cases are pending around the country.