The US opioid epidemic, edition 2021
2 years, 11 months ago

The US opioid epidemic, edition 2021

Al Jazeera  

Those responsible for the opioid-related deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans are yet to be held accountable. That’s Why They’re Deadly in Tough Times”, explains that such drugs “mimic the neurotransmitters that are responsible for making social connection comforting – tying parent to child, lover to beloved”. When confronted with this statistic at the time, then-US Ambassador to the United Nations Madeleine Albright affirmed that “we think the price is worth it”, which pretty much perfectly encapsulates capitalism’s lethal logic. As was noted in a December 2020 US congressional hearing on the role of Purdue and the Sacklers in the opioid epidemic, “Purdue targeted high-volume prescribers to boost sales of OxyContin, ignored and worked around safeguards intended to reduce prescription opioid misuse, and promoted false narratives about their products to steer patients away from safer alternatives and deflect blame toward people struggling with addiction”. During the aforementioned US congressional hearing, one state representative offered his straightforward opinion to David Sackler, a former member of the board of directors of Purdue Pharma: “I’m not sure that I’m aware of any family in America that’s more evil than yours”.

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History of this topic

Supreme Court shreds $6 billion opioid settlement plan in ruling against Sackler family
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Supreme Court shreds $6 billion opioid settlement plan in ruling against Sackler family

The Independent  

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US Supreme Court blocks Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement that would have protected Sackler family
5 months, 3 weeks ago

US Supreme Court blocks Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement that would have protected Sackler family

ABC  

In short: The US Supreme Court has ruled against a bankruptcy plan that would have shielded the Sackler family from legal liability. Bankruptcy may become a less attractive way to resolve sprawling lawsuits after a US Supreme Court ruling blocked OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's settlement. On Thursday, the court ruled against an estimated $US6 billion Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan that …

US Supreme Court blocks bankruptcy settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma
5 months, 3 weeks ago

US Supreme Court blocks bankruptcy settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma

Hindustan Times  

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy settlement that would have shielded its wealthy Sackler family owners from lawsuits over their role in the nation's deadly opioid epidemic. The Supreme Court on Thursday, June 27, 2024, rejected a nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would have shielded members of the Sackler family who …

The legal odyssey for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and its owners is complex. Here’s what to know
5 months, 3 weeks ago

The legal odyssey for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and its owners is complex. Here’s what to know

Associated Press  

Members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma have been cast as prime villains in the U.S. opioid epidemic. At the time of the drug’s 1996 launch, Richard Sackler, a son of Raymond who was then a Purdue executive and later became president and board chair, told the company’s sales force at a meeting that there would …

US Supreme Court rejects opioid settlement that shields Sackler family
5 months, 3 weeks ago

US Supreme Court rejects opioid settlement that shields Sackler family

Al Jazeera  

Decision reverses a lower court’s ruling that had upheld plan to give Purdue Pharma’s owners immunity in exchange for paying up to $6bn to settle thousands of lawsuits. The US Supreme Court has blocked OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement, which would have shielded its wealthy Sackler family owners from lawsuits over their role in the deadly opioid epidemic in …

The Supreme Court wrestles with OxyContin maker’s bankruptcy deal, with billions of dollars at stake
1 year ago

The Supreme Court wrestles with OxyContin maker’s bankruptcy deal, with billions of dollars at stake

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday wrestled with a nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would shield members of the Sackler family who own the company from civil lawsuits over the toll of opioids. “The Sacklers didn’t come anywhere close to doing that.” Arguments lasted nearly two hours in a packed courtroom, its doors draped in black …

US Supreme Court scrutinizes controversial opioid crisis settlement that would give Sackler family immunity
1 year ago

US Supreme Court scrutinizes controversial opioid crisis settlement that would give Sackler family immunity

CNN  

CNN — The Supreme Court spent nearly two hours Monday morning grappling with whether federal bankruptcy code permits a controversial agreement that would give billions of dollars to victims of the opioid epidemic while protecting members of the Sackler family, who owned the company Purdue Pharma, from current and future opioid-related civil lawsuits. Monday’s arguments unfolded as scores of demonstrators …

OxyContin maker’s settlement plan divides victims of opioid crisis. Now it’s up to the Supreme Court
1 year, 1 month ago

OxyContin maker’s settlement plan divides victims of opioid crisis. Now it’s up to the Supreme Court

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The agreement by the maker of OxyContin to settle thousands of lawsuits over the harm done by opioids could help combat the overdose epidemic that the painkiller helped spark. In exchange for giving up ownership of drug manufacturer Purdue Pharma and for contributing up to $6 billion to fight the crisis, members of the wealthy Sackler family would …

‘Painkiller’ series review: A hollow take on America’s opioid crisis that offers nothing new
1 year, 4 months ago

‘Painkiller’ series review: A hollow take on America’s opioid crisis that offers nothing new

The Hindu  

Each episode of Netflix’s new miniseries, Painkiller, starts in a unique way. Across six episodes, the show follows the sequence of events that led to the devasting epidemic of opioid addiction — from the inception of the idea of the OxyContin pill in Richard Sackler’s brain to the nefarious complicity of the state in allowing its distribution, an aggressive sales …

Federal judges are asked to pave way for Purdue Pharma deal
2 years, 7 months ago

Federal judges are asked to pave way for Purdue Pharma deal

Associated Press  

Lawyers for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and many of those who had claims against the company over the toll of opioids joined together Friday to urge a federal judicial panel to allow a plan that would settle lawsuits across the country. “That’s the fundamental inconsistency here.” Lawyers for Purdue and others who support the settlement said that the protections for …

Facing Purdue owners brings pain, closure for opioid victims
2 years, 9 months ago

Facing Purdue owners brings pain, closure for opioid victims

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Kara Trainor composed herself, looked into a camera and began to speak to the drugmakers she holds responsible for two decades of suffering that has extended from her to a son born dependent on opioids. Three members of the family that owns OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma watched silently or listened to the virtual court hearing as Trainor …

‘Scum of the earth': Drug victims face Purdue Pharma owners
2 years, 9 months ago

‘Scum of the earth': Drug victims face Purdue Pharma owners

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Angry, defiant and sometimes tearful, more than two dozen Americans whose lives were upended by the opioid crisis finally had their long-awaited chance Thursday to confront in court some members of the family they blame for fueling it. “I hope that every single victim’s face haunts your every waking moment and your sleeping ones, too,” said Ryan …

Judge favors boosting Sackler payment in Purdue Pharma deal
2 years, 9 months ago

Judge favors boosting Sackler payment in Purdue Pharma deal

Associated Press  

A judge said Wednesday that he would approve a plan that locks members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma into pumping at least another $1.2 billion into a nationwide lawsuit settlement that, if ultimately confirmed, would transform the company into a public trust. Aaron Cahn, a lawyer representing West Virginia, called the extra $277 million for …

Opioid crisis victims confront Purdue Pharma’s Sackler family
2 years, 9 months ago

Opioid crisis victims confront Purdue Pharma’s Sackler family

Al Jazeera  

In a rare hearing, two dozen people whose lives and families have been wracked by opioid abuse give statements in US Bankruptcy Court. Thursday’s unusual hearing, conducted virtually in United States Bankruptcy Court, gave them what they have wanted for years: the chance to confront members of the billionaire Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and tell them …

Purdue Pharma, US states agree to new opioid settlement
2 years, 9 months ago

Purdue Pharma, US states agree to new opioid settlement

Associated Press  

Purdue Pharma reached a nationwide settlement Thursday over its role in the opioid crisis, with the Sackler family members who own the company boosting their cash contribution to as much as $6 billion in a deal intended to staunch a flood of lawsuits facing the maker of OxyContin. “While the families have acted lawfully in all respects, they sincerely regret …

Purdue Pharma’s Sacklers reach $6BN opioid deal with US states
2 years, 9 months ago

Purdue Pharma’s Sacklers reach $6BN opioid deal with US states

Al Jazeera  

The deal eases Purdue Pharma’s path towards resolving trillions of dollars in claims and gives the Sackler family broad immunity from future opioid lawsuits in the United States. Members of the billionaire Sackler family that own Purdue Pharma LP have agreed to a bigger opioid settlement with the handful of states that worked to overturn its prior deal. The agreement …

Purdue Pharma, U.S. states agree to new opioid settlement
2 years, 9 months ago

Purdue Pharma, U.S. states agree to new opioid settlement

LA Times  

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reached a settlement Thursday over its role in the nation’s deadly opioid crisis that includes U.S. states and thousands of local governments, with the Sackler family members who own the company boosting their cash contribution to as much as $6 billion. While the families have acted lawfully in all respects, they sincerely regret that OxyContin, a …

Should Britain's greatest cultural institutions cut their links with the Sackler family?
2 years, 10 months ago

Should Britain's greatest cultural institutions cut their links with the Sackler family?

Daily Mail  

With its heady mix of art, beauty, politics and money gathered together under one eccentrically designed roof, the gala dinner to celebrate the opening of the Sackler Serpentine Gallery was the highlight of London's 2013 social calendar. Dame Theresa Sackler with her husband Dr Mortimer Sackler who died in 2010 at the age of 93 OxyContin — a powerful opioid-based …

Appeals are mounting in Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement
3 years, 2 months ago

Appeals are mounting in Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement

Associated Press  

Objections to a historic settlement with Purdue Pharma are mounting in the form of appeals, with Rhode Island’s attorney general saying Wednesday the plan doesn’t hold the OxyContin maker or its owners accountable for its role in sparking the opioid crisis. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, a Democrat, said he doesn’t accept that the resolution between Purdue Pharma and …

Use of OxyContin profits to fight opioids formally approved
3 years, 3 months ago

Use of OxyContin profits to fight opioids formally approved

Associated Press  

A judge formally approved a plan Friday to turn OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma into a new company no longer owned by members of the Sackler family and with its profits going to fight the opioid epidemic. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain officially confirmed the reorganization Friday, more than two weeks after he announced he would do so pending two largely …

Deal with OxyContin maker leaves families angry, conflicted
3 years, 3 months ago

Deal with OxyContin maker leaves families angry, conflicted

Associated Press  

Among the families who lost children and other loved ones in the nation’s opioid crisis, many had held out hope of someday facing OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and its owners in a courtroom. “I would love to make them watch a video of him going through withdrawals, the pain, the vomiting, him begging us to kill him.” The settlement came …

Judge conditionally approves Purdue Pharma opioid settlement
3 years, 3 months ago

Judge conditionally approves Purdue Pharma opioid settlement

Associated Press  

A federal bankruptcy judge gave conditional approval Wednesday to a sweeping settlement that will remove the Sackler family from ownership of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and devote potentially $10 billion to fighting the opioid crisis that has killed a half-million Americans over the past two decades. “Let’s help the people who are really struggling with this disease.” In a statement, …

The Sacklers, Who Made Billions From OxyContin, Win Immunity From Opioid Lawsuits
3 years, 3 months ago

The Sacklers, Who Made Billions From OxyContin, Win Immunity From Opioid Lawsuits

NPR  

The Sacklers, Who Made Billions From OxyContin, Win Immunity From Opioid Lawsuits Enlarge this image toggle caption Brian Mann Brian Mann Members of the Sackler family who are at the center of the nation's deadly opioid crisis have won sweeping immunity from opioid lawsuits linked to their privately owned company Purdue Pharma and its OxyContin medication. Federal Judge Robert Drain …

Owner: Purdue hoped new Oxy would help in crisis; no apology
3 years, 4 months ago

Owner: Purdue hoped new Oxy would help in crisis; no apology

Associated Press  

The family that owns Purdue Pharma had hoped a reformulated version of Oxycontin would help rein in the burgeoning opioid crisis a decade ago, a member of the Sackler family said Thursday in court testimony that once again stopped short of an apology or acceptance of responsibility for the epidemic. Maryland Assistant Attorney General Brian Edmunds, attempting to build a …

Ex-chair of Purdue denies responsibility for opioid crisis
3 years, 4 months ago

Ex-chair of Purdue denies responsibility for opioid crisis

Associated Press  

The former president and board chair of the company that makes OxyContin told a court Wednesday that he, his family and the company did not cause the opioid crisis in the United States. Richard Sackler, a member of the family that owns Purdue Pharma, was asked under oath during a federal bankruptcy hearing whether he, his kin or the company …

Ex Purdue Pharma chief denies responsibility for US opioid crisis
3 years, 4 months ago

Ex Purdue Pharma chief denies responsibility for US opioid crisis

Al Jazeera  

Richard Sackler’s denial of responsibility for the opioid crisis comes a day after another Sackler family member said the group would not accept a settlement without guarantees of immunity from further legal action. For each, he gave a one-word answer: “No.” Richard Sackler’s denial of responsibility for the opioid crisis comes a day after another Sackler family member said the …

Ex-chair of Purdue denies responsibility for opioid crisis
3 years, 4 months ago

Ex-chair of Purdue denies responsibility for opioid crisis

LA Times  

Richard Sackler, a member of the family that owns Purdue Pharma, denied under oath during a federal bankruptcy hearing that he, his kin or the company bear responsibility for the opioid crisis. Richard Sackler, a member of the family that owns Purdue Pharma, was asked under oath during a federal bankruptcy hearing whether he, his kin or the company bear …

Heir: Sacklers won't settle unless freed from opioid suits
3 years, 4 months ago

Heir: Sacklers won't settle unless freed from opioid suits

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. David Sackler, grandson of one of …

Sacklers won’t pay up in US opioid suit unless granted protection
3 years, 4 months ago

Sacklers won’t pay up in US opioid suit unless granted protection

Al Jazeera  

The family that owns OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma will not pay billions to a legal settlement unless they get protection from future lawsuits, a family heir told a court Tuesday. Members of the family that owns OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma won’t contribute billions of dollars to a legal settlement unless they get off the hook for all current and future …

Op-Ed: Who is responsible for the opioid crisis, and who ultimately pays?
3 years, 5 months ago

Op-Ed: Who is responsible for the opioid crisis, and who ultimately pays?

LA Times  

Containers made to look like OxyContin prescription pill bottles in front of the Department of Health and Human Services as part of a 2019 protest against the government’s opioid prescription drug approval practices. Among the things that had mangled the lives of folks in the Bottoms was addiction to what everyone by then called “OC.” OC was an abbreviation for …

West Virginia opposes Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan
3 years, 5 months ago

West Virginia opposes Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan

Associated Press  

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said he will oppose OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan, arguing that his state, one of the hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, would get shorted in settlement money. “I remain vigorously opposed to a proposed allocation formula that would distribute settlement funds largely based on a state or local government’s …

AP Interview: State AG pushes accountability in opioid cases
3 years, 6 months ago

AP Interview: State AG pushes accountability in opioid cases

Associated Press  

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has been a leader in the legal push to hold companies and individuals accountable for the U.S. opioid addiction and overdose epidemic, which has been linked to nearly 500,000 deaths over the last two decades. Healey was the first of many state attorneys general to sue individual members of the Sackler family who own Connecticut-based …

Sackler Family Empire Poised To Win Immunity From Opioid Lawsuits
3 years, 6 months ago

Sackler Family Empire Poised To Win Immunity From Opioid Lawsuits

NPR  

Sackler Family Empire Poised To Win Immunity From Opioid Lawsuits Enlarge this image toggle caption Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images After more than a year of high-stakes negotiations with billions of dollars on the line, a bankruptcy plan for Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, cleared a major hurdle late Wednesday. Sponsor Message This development …

Crime of the Century: Alex Gibney on his upcoming documentary and the story of the opioid epidemic
3 years, 7 months ago

Crime of the Century: Alex Gibney on his upcoming documentary and the story of the opioid epidemic

Firstpost  

The role of the Sackler family and their company, Purdue Pharma, in developing the prescription painkiller OxyContin is familiar territory. Gibney’s film digs into the aftermath, including the push to get doctors to overprescribe the medication and the company’s use of former government regulators to cripple serious oversight. Asked for comment on The Crime of the Century, a Purdue Pharma …

To filmmaker Gibney, opioid crisis is ‘Crime of the Century’
3 years, 7 months ago

To filmmaker Gibney, opioid crisis is ‘Crime of the Century’

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Not unexpectedly given the subject matter, HBO’s two-part documentary “The Crime of the Century” opens with a body bag. “I felt that the whole idea of the crisis was being treated as if it were a spontaneous event that just couldn’t have been helped,” Gibney said. Asked for comment on “The Crime of the Century,” a Purdue …

24 States Mount Legal Fight To Block Sackler Bid For Opioid Immunity
3 years, 7 months ago

24 States Mount Legal Fight To Block Sackler Bid For Opioid Immunity

NPR  

24 States Mount Legal Fight To Block Sackler Bid For Opioid Immunity Enlarge this image toggle caption House Television via AP House Television via AP For months, members of the Sackler family that owns Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin, have portrayed their bid for immunity from future opioid lawsuits as a kind of fait accompli, a take-it-or-leave-it fix to …

Family responsible for opioid crisis tried to ERASE 1975 suicide of Purdue Pharma heir Bobby Sackler
3 years, 8 months ago

Family responsible for opioid crisis tried to ERASE 1975 suicide of Purdue Pharma heir Bobby Sackler

Daily Mail  

The family 'responsible for the opioid crisis' in the United States tried to erase the 1975 suicide of Purdue Pharma heir Bobby Sackler, 24, who was addicted to heroin, a new book has claimed. In the book, scheduled for release on Tuesday, Radden Keefe claims that Bobby's drug addictions were 'an inconvenient truth and a huge embarrassment' to the family, …

Critics Want Sacklers To Face Criminal Charges For Role In Opioid Crisis
4 years ago

Critics Want Sacklers To Face Criminal Charges For Role In Opioid Crisis

NPR  

Critics Want Sacklers To Face Criminal Charges For Role In Opioid Crisis Enlarge this image toggle caption Toby Talbot/AP Toby Talbot/AP Updated at 7:20 p.m. ET Newly public documents paint a detailed and often damning portrait of the role played by members of the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, during years when the privately owned drug company launched criminal …

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma pleads guilty in criminal case
4 years ago

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma pleads guilty in criminal case

Associated Press  

Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty Tuesday to three criminal charges, formally taking responsibility for its part in an opioid epidemic that has contributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths but also angering critics who want to see individuals held accountable, in addition to the company. Last week, as part of a motion to get access to more family documents, the attorneys …

Federal Judge Approves Landmark $8.3 Billion Purdue Pharma Opioid Settlement
4 years, 1 month ago

Federal Judge Approves Landmark $8.3 Billion Purdue Pharma Opioid Settlement

NPR  

Federal Judge Approves Landmark $8.3 Billion Purdue Pharma Opioid Settlement Enlarge this image John Moore/Getty Images John Moore/Getty Images A federal bankruptcy judge approved a controversial $8.3 billion settlement late Tuesday between Purdue Pharma and the Department of Justice. Sponsor Message Judge Drain swatted aside objections to the deal raised by a coalition of more than two dozen states that …

Purdue Pharma Reaches $8B Opioid Deal With Justice Department Over OxyContin Sales
4 years, 2 months ago

Purdue Pharma Reaches $8B Opioid Deal With Justice Department Over OxyContin Sales

NPR  

Purdue Pharma Reaches $8B Opioid Deal With Justice Department Over OxyContin Sales Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images Updated at 12:14 p.m. ET The Justice Department announced on Wednesday a global settlement of civil and criminal investigations into Purdue Pharma's aggressive marketing of opioid medications, including OxyContin. However, Justice Department officials said this deal doesn't …

States says opioid crisis has cost them $630B since 2007
4 years, 4 months ago

States says opioid crisis has cost them $630B since 2007

Associated Press  

U.S. state and territorial governments say the opioid epidemic has cost them $630 billion since 2007 and that the cost could balloon to more than $2 trillion over the next 20 years. Attorneys general for nearly every state and territory made that calculation public Monday in OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy case. The cost estimate pertains to the overall toll …

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