Millions of Americans take medications known as proton pump inhibitors every day to treat heartburn and acid reflux. In recent years, these drugs have been linked to a greater risk of kidney failure, stroke, and early death. New research suggests there may also be a higher risk of dementia.

The US supreme court has agreed to hear a challenge to the legality of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement that would shield its owners, the Sackler family, from lawsuits over their role in America’s opioid epidemic.

A new study has found that the U.S. state of Kentucky's 2007 lawsuit against Purdue Pharma dissuaded only Purdue's opioid marketing. The promotion of opioids by competing drug companies actually increased.