Purdue Pharma’s opioid prosecution enables bankruptcy settlement

On 28 April, a US federal court sentenced Purdue Pharma to pay over $5 billion (£3.7 billion) in criminal penalties for its aggressive and misleading marketing of opioid drugs including OxyContin (oxycodone), which contributed to the US opioid addiction epidemic. The ruling is the last necessary step before Purdue can proceed with its approved bankruptcy deal, settling lawsuits with various state, local and tribal governments, as well as thousands of individuals affected by OxyContin mismarketing.