on about your day, ask yourself: How likely is it that the story you just read would have been produced by a different news outlet if The Intercept hadnt done it? "And it's not right.". Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, and its owners, the Sackler family, are facing hundreds of lawsuits across the country for the company's alleged role in the opioid epidemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans over the past 20 years. University of Connecticut law school professor Alexandra Lahav says that ratio prioritizes the greater good, going forward. The judge overseeing Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy said on Monday that some members of the Sackler family who own the OxyContin maker face a "substantial risk" of liability and could be on the . Individuals who filed claims over opioid addiction or overdose deaths against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP are projected to receive as much as $48,000 under the companys bankruptcy plan. The result is an increase over the $27 million allocated to New Hampshire in Purdues original bankruptcy plana plan objected to by Attorney General Formella. In a rare court appearance, David Sackler said he and his family would withdraw their pledge to pay $4.5 billion, unless they are shielded from lawsuits related to Purdue Pharma. At the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy trial that began Thursday, Judge Robert Drain is widely expected to approve a proposed settlement of the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy that would releasemembers of the billionaire Sackler family, the companys owners, from all current and future opioid-related civil claims. You may change your billing preferences at any time in the Customer Center or call 15 states reach deal with opioid-maker Purdue Pharma for $4.5B settlement. We need a release that is sufficient to get our goals accomplished, and if the release fails to do that, then we will not support it, Mr. Sackler declared during the fourth day of fractious testimony in the confirmation hearing for the bankruptcy plan of Purdue Pharma, whose misleading marketing of the prescription painkiller OxyContin is widely seen as igniting the opioid epidemic. The question has been taken up by members of Congress, and may well drive an appeal by the objectors, should Judge Drain confirm the plan. In December 2021, the U.S. District Court vacated the Purdue bankruptcy order, agreeing that the Bankruptcy Court lacked authority to force states to release their claims against the Sackler family. If the bankruptcy judge, Robert Drain, approves the settlement, the Department of Justice can seek to appeal it. Detailed instructions on how to vote are available at PurduePharmaClaims.comor by calling (844) 217-0912 (toll free) or (347) 859-8093 (international). The Purdue case is the highest-profile part of a vast landscape of litigation over an opioid epidemic that has been linked to more than 500,000 U.S. deaths since 2000, including those from prescription drugs such as OxyContin and generic painkillers, along with illicit drugs including heroin and illegally produced fentanyl. So Purdue Pharma has twice pled guilty to federal criminal charges, once in 2007 and again in 2020. May 26, 2021, 2:13 PM. How Repaying Student Loans Is ChangingDramatically, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Loses Re-Election Bid, Says "We Put This City on a Better Path", How Chipotle's Stock Price More Than Quadrupled in Five Years, Apples iPhone Passcode Problem: How Thieves Can Take Over in Minutes. . Photo credit: Tony Webster. It is unclear how much the Sacklers have earned from Rhodes Pharma. The District of Columbia, the federal Justice Department and U.S. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images). To do so, you must file a motion with the Court on or beforeJuly 19, 2021, at 4:00 p.m., prevailing Eastern Time. Purdue Pharma, the maker of the . Court documents show company officials continued to push to maintain sales even as it became clear the drug was being abused. Attorney General William Tong announced today Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family will pay $6 billion to victims, survivors, and states for their role in the opioid epidemic40 percent more than the previously vacated settlement appealed by Connecticut. The balance between risk and societal benefit is, I think, beyond question, Mr. Sackler said. The Sackler families will have no involvement in the new company, and are paying $4.325 billion (in addition to $225 million already paid to the United States Department of Justice) into the estates. Explain what fentanyl is and that it can be found in pills bought online or from friends. The Purdue spokesperson did not answer questions from The Intercept as to whether or not the court had approved these payments or how the company distinguishes between its own interests and those of the Sackler family. It's settled. With fentanyl, there is only a short window of time to intervene and save a persons life during an overdose. In 2021, the Bankruptcy Court . Caption Demonstrators scatter fake money and prescription bottles of OxyContin in August outside of U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, where the Purdue bankruptcy hearings were held. You will be charged Above, Jayde Newton helps to set up cardboard gravestones with the names of victims of opioid abuse outside the courthouse where the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy is taking place in White Plains, New York, on August 9, 2021. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has ordered three law firms for Purdue Pharma to relinquish $1 million in fees earned in the drugmakers' opioid epidemic-related bankruptcy cases due to concerns . Lynn Wencus sits on a bench in her backyard dedicated to her son Jeff, whom she lost to an opioid overdose in . The maximum award for Jeff Wencus' death would be between $26,000 and $40,000. On June 3, 2021, as part of Purdue Pharma L.P.'s bankruptcy proceedings, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York entered an order called the "Disclosure Statement . Lahav says she sympathizes with individuals who call the settlement unfair. Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy in September 2019. Settlement highlights include: New Hampshire initiated its investigation of opioid companies in 2015 and sued Purdue and members of the Sacker family in 2017 and 2019, respectively, alleging that the Sacklers directed Purdues strategy to sell their opioids through a deceptive marketing campaign that minimized the health risks of opioids, and claimed that prescription drugs were rarely the cause of abuse, addiction, or death. While there is historically broad support for the plan, we also know that there have been deeply held views on the other side. The decision by a federal bankruptcy judge grants members of the family who own Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, sweeping protection from any liability for the opioid crisis. But many of the 138,000 individuals who've filed claims for a death, expenses tied to their addiction or the birth of a child exposed to opioids during pregnancy expect to receive little if anything from the deal. The multibillion-dollar bankruptcy settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family is grounded in an opioid crisis that has injured or killed an untold number of Americans. Isaacs is one of just two individuals holding out against a controversial bankruptcy settlement that would effectively shield Purdue's former owners, the Sackler family, from further litigation. The company will continue serving patients and consumers who rely on its medicines and products, pursuing its pipeline, and introducing medicines that will help save and improvelives. For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below. The U.S. trustee said in a July 19 filing The Court Does Not Have Constitutional Authority to Enjoin Claims Against the Sackler Family, as proposed by the settlement, as it Would Exceed the Bounds of the Bankruptcy Clause in the Constitution. Jesse Costa/WBUR This "big three pharmacies" agreement is worth $13.8 billion combined, which brings our Global Settlement Tracker sum of settlements between opioid corporations and U.S. governments some finalized, some TBD to about $54.07 billion. In 2021, the Bankruptcy Court approved a bankruptcy plan deemed inadequate by several attorneys general, including Attorney General Formella, that granted a lifetime legal shield to the Sackler family, unlawfully blocking states like New Hampshire from pursuing claims against the family. Purdue Pharma LP. 2023 Cable News Network. If you think someone is overdosing, call 911 right away. July 9, 2021. Among their other clients are the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the private equity giant Apollo Global Management. We may well need it?.?.?. Unlike most major corporations in the U.S., Purdue Pharma is privately held, meaning that members of the Sackler family were the majority shareholders. I would like to thank the Attorney General for forcing Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family back to the negotiating table to secure a better deal for New Hampshire, said Governor Chris Sununu. Substantially all of Purdues assets will be transferred to a new post-emergence company with a public-minded mission. Tens of millions of documents will ultimately be placed in the public repository. Alexis Pleus whose son overdosed in 2014, a decade after he was prescribed OxyContin for a minor injury said that Purdues use of lobbyists highlights the disparity between Big Pharma and victims of the opioid crisis: One side can pour millions into influence campaigns, while the other cannot. We have a system for corporations and billionaires and then we have a system for the rest of us. Nearly two years after seeking bankruptcy protection, the company appeared before a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge to ask for approval of its plan to reorganize into a new entity no longer controlled by members of the Sackler family, and with profits dedicated to abating the opioid crisis. We dont have ads, so we depend on our members 35,000 and counting to help us hold the powerful to account. In a statement to CNN last week, Purdue Pharma also said they were pleased with the settlement. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, one of the last AGs to sign the deal, says spending most of the money on prevention, treatment and recovery means it will reach people who could not or did not sue Purdue. SOURCE *Prime Clerk the Court-Appointed Claims and Noticing Agent, Cision Distribution 888-776-0942 Instead, he said he believed the Sacklers would resume fighting all the cases to their final outcomes a process that would be inordinately costly and protracted for everyone involved. None of the amounts touch the more than $125,000 the Wencus family spent on Jeff's care. Lynn Wencus sits on a bench in her backyard dedicated to her son Jeff, whom she lost to an opioid overdose in 2017. A corporate monitor will continue to ensure that the new company complies with the court-ordered injunction, and will report regularly on compliance. A judge overseeing the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy case said the company's wealth can't be tied to one person. . Those with claims against Purdue were given a vote on the settlement, though Judge Drain is not bound by the results. It says additional money would come from insurance claims. The new company will operate in a responsible and sustainable manner, taking into account long-term public health interests related to the opioid crisis. In the year and a half leading up to the trial, Purdue spent at least $1.2 million on federal lobbying expenses as it worked toward the settlement, an Intercept review of lobbying records shows. . This whole bankruptcy was the Sacklers trying to buy immunity, said activist Ed Bisch, who lost his son to an OxyContin overdose in 2001 and is a claimant and active opponent of the settlement. In more recent years, individual Sacklers themselves have been named in a growing number of the cases. If youre concerned that a loved one could be exposed to fentanyl, you may want to buy naloxone. Fentanyl is a potent and fast-acting drug, two qualities that also make it highly addictive. David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images. Demonstrators scatter fake money and prescription bottles of OxyContin in August outside of U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, where the Purdue bankruptcy hearings were held. Individuals who filed personal injury claims against Purdue Pharma related to its opioid painkiller OxyContin are expected to receive as much as $48,000 under the drugmaker's bankruptcy . Responding to state requests, the mediator urged the Bankruptcy Court to require the Sacklers to participate in a March 9, 2022 public hearing where victims and their survivors would be given an opportunity to directly address the family. CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to make clear that Sackler family members could still be subject to criminal liability. Opioid Victims Will Get Small Payouts From The Purdue Pharma Settlement People who were. Trustee, a program in the Justice Department that monitors bankruptcy cases, as well as some Canadian local governments and First Nations, have joined in the objections. Purdue began selling the painkiller OxyContin 25 years ago, encouraging doctors to drop long-held reservations about opioids and focus more on easing the pain of patients. The settlement, which is subject to approval by the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, resolves the USTP's concerns about the adequacy of the Firms' disclosures in the Purdue bankruptcy cases. . In recent months, claims against other companies in the drug industry have gone to trial in California, New York and West Virginia, with more on tap in coming months. The plan, filed late on Monday night in US bankruptcy court in White Plains, New York, after months of negotiations, is a formal offer to settle more than 2,900 lawsuits from state and local governments, Native American tribes, hospitals and other entities. Separately, Purdue has pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges and settled civil complaints. Purdue Pharma judge approves $6-billion opioid settlement, overrules U.S. Department of Justice. Purdue Pharma, which makes OxyContin, filed for bankruptcy protection in September 2019 after thousands of lawsuits . We may also use third-party analytic tools to assist with the collection of information including, but not limited to, Google Analytics. But many of the 138,000 individuals who've filed claims for a death, expenses tied to their addiction or the birth of a child exposed to opioids during pregnancy expect to receive little if anything from the deal. 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