RALEIGH -- State Attorney General, Josh Stein, announced Thursday he has filed a lawsuit against the drug manufacturing company Insys Therapeutics.

The lawsuit claims the drug called "Subsys", form of synthetic opioid fentanyl, is about 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. 

Stein says the company paid doctors to prescribe the drug to patients who did not need it in order to make money. 

The lawsuit also claims the company made up false medical histories for patients in order to get insurers to cover the costs. 

"According to our investigation, Insys undertook an aggressive, law-breaking sales campaign to increase the number of patients who would use the drug and increase their profits," Stein said during a news conference Thursday.

Several former Insys employees, including the Charlotte-based sales vice president have been indicted on criminal charges.