Sackler Family Granted Legal Immunity Despite Opioid Epidemic

The Sackler family is getting away with falsely marketing OxyContin, a highly addictive opioid manufactured by their company, Purdue Pharma, as non-addictive. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit granted the family legal immunity in exchange for a $6 billion payout to the thousands of plaintiffs in the case.

In the 1990s, Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sackler family, developed OxyContin, an extended-release version of oxycodone. Despite being a highly addictive opioid, the pharmaceutical company marketed the drug as safe, effective, and non-addictive pain management.

According to a Nature publication, “Purdue Pharma knew that it was addictive, as it admitted in a 2007 lawsuit that resulted in a $635 million fine for the company. But doctors and patients were unaware of that at the time.”

Alongside other claims, this kind of pharmaceutical deceit is theorized to be a significant driver of the opioid epidemic. Today, opioids are involved in over 75% of drug overdoses. Additionally, up to 30% of people prescribed an opioid for pain management abuse them. While harm reduction and prevention methods have been established, they have not reversed the domino effect of opioid overprescription.

Despite an admission of guilt from the pharmaceutical company, an appellate court granted the owners protection, preventing civil opioid cases from impacting the family. According to an article in the New York Times, when the company filed for bankruptcy in 2019, it was protected from legal action.

However, traditionally, owners are not protected unless they file for personal bankruptcy. The Sacklers argued against this legal standard, claiming that the protection of the company should extend to the family. This recent ruling finally granted that request.

While additional steps are needed before the case is completely closed, the Sacklers will not be held liable for any claims if the process is approved. Instead, they will have to make approximately $6 billion in payouts. As the public awaits confirmation of the settlements, previous appeals and rulings indicate a lengthy process.