While there have been some positive trends in the opioid epidemics at the national level, including a drop in the number of overdose deaths in parts of New England, New Jersey’s death rate has been rising steadily. Nearly 2,700 overdose deaths have been confirmed in the first 10 months of this year, according to data collected by the state attorney general’s office. In 2017, preliminary data show that there were 2,750 overdose-related deaths.

The opioid crisis in New Jersey became the main focus of Gov. Chris Christie’s final year in office and he used his national platform as a presidential candidate to repeatedly call for reforms on treating opioid addiction and prosecuting drug abusers. President Trump also named Mr. Christie as chairman of his commission on the opioid crisis. Besides suing Purdue Pharma, the Christie administration also sued Insys Therapeutics, an Arizona-based opioid manufacturer.

But the lawsuit announced by Mr. Grewal represents a new front in New Jersey’s battle against the scourge of opioids, targeting a company that plays a key role in the state’s economy.

New Jersey has a deep and lucrative connection with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Often referred to as “The Medicine Chest of the World,” New Jersey was once home to many major pharmaceutical manufacturers, such as Pfizer, Merck and Johnson and Johnson. And while some companies have left the state, the industry still accounts for roughly 120,000 jobs, totaling $16.5 billion in annual payroll in 2016, or 7.8 percent of the state’s total wages.

Mr. Grewal told reporters that his office was not investigating Janssen’s parent company, Johnson & Johnson, but said that additional charges could be filed. Though Janssen is one of the state’s largest employers, Mr. Grewal said that did not factor into his office’s decision making.

“We’re not shying away from holding folks accountable,” Mr. Grewal said. “If they’re culpable, we’ll hold them accountable.”

The lawsuit is similar to other lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, tracing the evolution of opioids from short-dosage painkillers in the early 1990s to drugs whose effects are more long term.