(Reuters) – North Carolina on Thursday sued Insys Therapeutics Inc (INSY.O) over its role in the opioid epidemic, accusing the pharmaceutical company of illegally pushing a powerful fentanyl-based cancer pain medicine called Subsys in a quest to make more money.

The lawsuit by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein came amid an ongoing federal investigation that has led to charges against former executives accused of engaging in a scheme to bribe doctors to prescribe Subsys.

Reporting by Nate Raymond in BostonEditing by Chizu Nomiyama