WASHINGTON – U.S. Supreme Court blocks deal with opioid maker Purdue Pharma, which protected the Sackler family, owners of the pharmaceutical giant. As part of the agreement – signed by the company, representatives of the victims and local governments – the Sackler family had committed to paying 6 billion dollars to the families of overdose victims, but only in exchange for complete exoneration from any liability in future cases. The sentence of the highest American court now jeopardizes the compensation already agreed uponbut at the same time opens the door to possible future waves of lawsuits.
Fentanyl, Zombie Drug Consumption Alarm Skyrockets: Portland, Oregon Declares State of Emergency
by Anna Lombardi
January 31, 2024
At the center of the dispute is the painkiller OxyContin. The opioid, produced and marketed by the Sackler family company, is considered responsible for the overdose deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in the United States. A drama, that of the painkiller epidemic in America, which has even been told in a series on Netflix called “Painkiller”.
The Supreme Court blocked the deal by a five-to-four vote, after suspending it at the request of the Biden administration.
