OxyContin maker to settle US opioid case for $270m
Other drugmakers facing litigation, including J&J and Teva, will have to make their own deals
Wilmington — Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family will pay $270m to settle Oklahoma’s claims that illegal marketing of the OxyContin painkiller devastated local communities, an accord that could influence the results of thousands of lawsuits faced by the company and others. The settlement comes two months before the scheduled start of a trial against Purdue, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in Norman, Oklahoma, the US. The settlement resolves a tiny sliver of the massive legal liability that has led Purdue to threaten bankruptcy as a way of managing its legal costs. The drugmaker is owned by the Sackler family, and states and local governments have recently explored pursuing the family’s wealth. Purdue confirmed the settlement in a statement. Other drugmakers facing litigation, including J&J and Teva, would have to make their own deals. Representatives for Teva and J&J did not immediately respond to requests for comment. “I see this as a one-off tied to Pur...
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