The Heart Of Purdue Settlement Relies On More OxyContin Sales. Some States Wonder If There’s A Better Answer.
The money from the sales of the opioids will go to the plaintiffs, but some states, other leaders and advocates are worried it will become a vicious cycle. "It's disgraceful," said Ed Bisch, of Pennsauken, N.J., who was among the first parents to take on Purdue Pharma. His son died of an OxyContin overdose at 18 in 2001. "If they keep on selling OxyContin, there's going to be more and more accidental addicts."
The Associated Press:
'Blood Money'? Purdue Settlement Would Rely On Opioid Sales
The tentative multibillion-dollar settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma would raise money to help clean up the opioid mess by ... selling more OxyContin. That would amount to blood money, in the opinion of some critics. And it's one reason two dozen states have rejected the deal. (Mulvihill and Galofaro, 9/17)
The Hill:
Holdouts Vow To Challenge Purdue Pharma Settlement
States that have not signed on to the deal quickly criticized the settlement, saying that it is not nearly enough to address the opioid crisis and that it will take years before the full terms are realized, if at all. They are gearing up for a fight in bankruptcy court and are expected to try to pursue Purdue’s owners, the Sackler family, for a full accounting. (Weixel, 9/17)
NH Times Union:
NH Attorney General Sues Family Behind Purdue Pharma, Joining Other States
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office has filed a lawsuit against the Sackler family, joining several other state Attorneys General suing the family behind opioid maker Purdue Pharma.Deputy Attorney General Jane E. Young announced the complaint was filed Tuesday in Merrimack County Superior Court. The complaint alleges the Sackler family directed the company to keep promoting opioid painkillers, even in the face of evidence the drugs were harmful. (Albertson-Grove, 9/17)
The Hill:
North Carolina Sues Sackler Family Over Opioid Epidemic
North Carolina's attorney general has filed a new lawsuit accusing members of the Sackler family of deliberately ignoring the harms of OxyContin in order to boost the prescription painkiller's sales as well as profits for themselves. In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) accused eight members of the Sackler family of being the driving forces behind Purdue Pharma and its work to deceptively market and sell OxyContin. (Weixel, 9/17)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Georgia Thinks About How It Would Spend Opioid Settlement
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma made its first appearance in bankruptcy court Tuesday, less than a day after Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced in The Atlanta Journal Constitution that the state will join the bankruptcy deal. The company says it could mean $10 billion or more for the states, cities and towns that have sued. Detractors don’t believe that and say it doesn’t do enough. (Hart, 9/17)
The Associated Press:
Sackler Money Complicates Donation Policies For Museums
Ask the CEO and president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art whether he’s accepting money from the Sacklers, the billionaire dynasty notorious for its ties to the drug company Purdue Pharma, and the answer is somewhat complicated. For one thing, it depends on which Sackler. “There are people who have the name ‘Sackler’ who have nothing to do with the Purdue Pharma situation,” Daniel H. Weiss says. “If it’s someone tied up with the leadership at Purdue Pharma, we step away.” (Italie, 9/18)
Reuters:
Oxycontin Maker Purdue Begins Bankruptcy In Push To Settle Opioid Lawsuits
Oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma LP on Tuesday told a bankruptcy judge it hopes to broaden support for a proposed settlement of 2,600 lawsuits alleging it fueled the U.S. opioid crisis, but opponents of the deal highlighted looming legal battles. A lawyer representing the company told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in White Plains, New York that the case was an opportunity to end a "chaotic maelstrom" of litigation. (Hals and Raymond, 9/17)
The Associated Press:
Purdue Pharma To Stay In Business As Bankruptcy Unfolds
A judge cleared the way Tuesday for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to stay in business while it pursues bankruptcy protection and settlement of more than 2,600 lawsuits filed against it in a reckoning over the opioid crisis. At the first court hearing since the Chapter 11 filing late Sunday, Purdue lawyers secured permission for the multibillion-dollar company based in Stamford, Connecticut, to maintain business as usual — paying employees and vendors, supplying pills to distributors, and keeping current on taxes and insurance. (Sisak, 9/17)
In other news on the opioid crisis —
Boston Globe:
Settlement Means Nursing Home Company Will Now Accept Opioid-Addicted Patients
The owner of 16 Massachusetts nursing homes has agreed to accept patients being treated for opioid addiction, forgoing a practice that remains common among other nursing homes. In a settlement reached Tuesday with the office of US Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, Athena Health Care Systems agreed to adopt a nondiscrimination policy, provide training to admissions personnel about the rights of disabled people and opioid addiction, and pay a civil penalty of $10,000. (Freyer, 9/17)
The Washington Post:
Maryland Opioid Deaths: Decline In First Half 2019
While opioid-related deaths remain at nearly an all-time high in Maryland, preliminary data shows a decline in fatal overdoses for the second straight quarter — the first six-month drop in the last decade. State officials released a preliminary report Tuesday that found that there were 1,060 opioid-related deaths in Maryland in the first half of the year, 133 fewer — or an 11 percent decline — than in the first six months of 2018. (Wiggins, 9/17)
The Baltimore Sun:
Opioid Overdose Deaths In Maryland Drop For First Half Of The Year
Maryland’s opioid-related deaths dropped during the first half of the year, including those linked to fentanyl, according to new state figures that show a bit of relief from the overdose crisis that is still claiming close to 200 lives a month in the state. There were 1,182 total drug and alcohol-related deaths from January through June, with almost 90% opioid related. That’s down 150 from the 1,332 reported in the first six months of 2018, according to data released Tuesday by the Maryland Department of Health and the state’s Opioid Operational Command Center. (Cohn, 9/17)
