Overdose deaths linked to prescription opioids have killed more than 218,000 Americans since the addiction crisis began in the late 1990s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
State and local governments have filed more than 2,000 lawsuits claiming Purdue Pharma played a central role marketing opioid medications, including Oxycontin, while downplaying the risks.
Over two decades, opioid sales generated billions of dollars in profits for the company, making the Sacklers one of the richest families in the U.S.
If Purdue Pharma does file for bankruptcy without first reaching some kind of structured deal, it could take years to sort out the remaining value of the company’s assets and then determine who’s first in line for compensation.
- Brian Mann, “Purdue Pharma: Sackler Family’s ‘Personal Wealth’ Offered In Opioid Deal” on NPR (September 9, 2019) (link)
