The deal will protect the billionaire Sackler family from future civil litigation – but not future criminal charges.
The billionaire Sackler family has agreed to shell out as much as $6 billion to settle litigation accusing their company Purdue Pharma – the maker of OxyContin — of contributing to the opioid crisis that has killed nearly half a million Americans, in a deal that would shield them from future civil lawsuits – but not criminal charges. “While the families have acted lawfully in all respects, they sincerely regret that OxyContin, a prescription medicine that continues to help people suffering from chronic pain, unexpectedly became part of an opioid crisis that has brought grief and loss to far too many families and communities,” reads a statement from two branches of the Sackler family included in the Thursday filing, according to the New York Times.
