Purdue Pharma, an American drug company, is seen by many observers as having been largely responsible for the rise of the devastating opioid drug crisis in the United States. After introducing OxyContin, a powerful opioid painkiller, in 1996, the company proceeded to market it aggressively claiming that it was supposedly less addictive, less subject to abuse, and less likely to cause narcotic side effects. Seduced by Purdue Pharma’s deceptive marketing, American doctors subsequently wrote huge numbers of prescriptions for the drug. Since 1999, more than a quarter of a million Americans are believed to have lost their lives as a result of overdoses related to prescription opioid drugs.
The Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, had agreed to pay $6 billion towards a settlement in exchange for protection against future lawsuits. However, the Supreme Court has now ruled that such legal immunity was not permissible under US bankruptcy law since the Sacklers themselves did not actually file for bankruptcy.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the 5-4 majority, highlighted that the Sacklers were not offering their full assets to the victims and that they had sought extensive legal protections without the consent of all claimants. The Supreme Court’s decision indicates that allowing such legal shields could set a dangerous precedent for wealthy individuals and corporations to misuse the US bankruptcy system. Many victims and campaigners see this ruling as an important step towards finally holding the Sacklers to account for their role in the opioid crisis.
To read why we say it is time to treat the pharma cartel like the tobacco cartel, see this article from 2018 on our website.
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July 12, 2024US Supreme Court Rejects Plan to Shield the Sackler Family in Purdue Pharma Opioid Deal
News
The US Supreme Court has struck down a part of the bankruptcy deal for Purdue Pharma that would have shielded members of the Sackler family from future lawsuits over their role in fueling the opioid crisis.
[Source: bbc.co.uk]
[Image source: Adobe Stock]
Comment
Purdue Pharma, an American drug company, is seen by many observers as having been largely responsible for the rise of the devastating opioid drug crisis in the United States. After introducing OxyContin, a powerful opioid painkiller, in 1996, the company proceeded to market it aggressively claiming that it was supposedly less addictive, less subject to abuse, and less likely to cause narcotic side effects. Seduced by Purdue Pharma’s deceptive marketing, American doctors subsequently wrote huge numbers of prescriptions for the drug. Since 1999, more than a quarter of a million Americans are believed to have lost their lives as a result of overdoses related to prescription opioid drugs.
The Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, had agreed to pay $6 billion towards a settlement in exchange for protection against future lawsuits. However, the Supreme Court has now ruled that such legal immunity was not permissible under US bankruptcy law since the Sacklers themselves did not actually file for bankruptcy.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the 5-4 majority, highlighted that the Sacklers were not offering their full assets to the victims and that they had sought extensive legal protections without the consent of all claimants. The Supreme Court’s decision indicates that allowing such legal shields could set a dangerous precedent for wealthy individuals and corporations to misuse the US bankruptcy system. Many victims and campaigners see this ruling as an important step towards finally holding the Sacklers to account for their role in the opioid crisis.
To read why we say it is time to treat the pharma cartel like the tobacco cartel, see this article from 2018 on our website.
Dr. Rath Health Foundation
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