opioid epidemic News

McKinsey Faces US Criminal Probe Over Opioids Work, Sources Say

McKinsey & Co is under criminal investigation in the United States over allegations that the consulting firm played a key role in fueling the opioid epidemic, with federal prosecutors homing in on its work advising OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and …

Judge Trims U.S. Lawsuit Accusing Drug Distributor of Fueling Opioid Epidemic

A federal judge on Monday pared back a U.S. government lawsuit accusing drug distributor Cencora, formerly called AmerisourceBergen, of fueling the nation’s deadly opioid epidemic by failing to report hundreds of thousands of suspicious orders of prescription painkillers. U.S. District …

U.S. Sues AmerisourceBergen, Says Distributor Helped Ignite Opioid Epidemic

The U.S. government filed a lawsuit accusing AmerisourceBergen Corp., one of the nation’s largest drug distributors, of helping ignite the nation’s deadly opioid epidemic by failing to report hundreds of thousands of suspicious orders of prescription painkillers. In a Dec. …

Ohio Court: Insurer Has No Duty to Defend Drug Distributor Against Opioid Lawsuit

An insurer has no duty to defend a drug distributor against lawsuits filed by cities and counties that allege it failed to take proper steps to prevent abuse of prescription opioids, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. In a 5-2 …

New Hampshire Joins States Suing Pharmacies Over Role in Opioid Epidemic

The state of New Hampshire sued pharmacy chains Tuesday, becoming the latest government entity seeking to hold them accountable for fueling the nation’s deadly opioid epidemic. The lawsuit filed by Attorney General John Formella calls CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens and …

New York Expands Opioid Settlement Board

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Saturday expanding the state’s Opioid Settlement Board from 19 members to 21 members. Hochul also appointed two women to the board, which is responsible for helping distribute settlement money from opioid manufacturers and …

Purdue’s Sacklers Consider Adding $1 Billion More to Opioid Settlement

Members of the billionaire Sackler family that own Purdue Pharma LP are weighing whether to add $1 billion to the OxyContin-maker’s faltering opioid settlement bid in an effort to win over holdouts, according to people familiar with the offer. The …

Bipartisan Report Calls for New Strategy, Cabinet Post to Fight Opioid Epidemic

The U.S. needs a nimble, multipronged strategy and Cabinet-level leadership to counter its festering overdose epidemic, a bipartisan congressional commission advises. With vastly powerful synthetic drugs like fentanyl driving record overdose deaths, the scourge of opioids awaits after the COVID-19 …

Ruling Against Purdue’s Sacklers Puts Controversial Bankruptcy Tactic in Spotlight

A federal judge’s decision to unravel a settlement shielding members of the Sackler family from future opioid litigation could upend a controversial corner of U.S. bankruptcy law: protecting third parties who have not filed for Chapter 11 themselves. In a …

Judge Tosses $4.5B Deal Shielding Sacklers From Purdue Opioid Claims

A federal judge has thrown out a $4.5 billion settlement that would have shielded the Sackler family, which owned OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, from future lawsuits over opioids, upending the company’s plan to reorganize in bankruptcy court. U.S. District Judge …