A federal appeals court panel has ruled that members of the Sackler family, the billionaire owners of Purdue Pharma, will receive full immunity from all civil legal claims, both current and future, regarding their role in the company’s prescription opioids business. As part of an agreement to pay up to $6 billion of the family’s fortune to help address the ongoing ravages of the opioid crisis, they will now have the sweeping protection that they have been seeking for years. The ruling removes a significant obstacle for the money to be dispensed to states and communities for addiction treatment and prevention programs. The Sacklers’ liability protection does not apply to criminal prosecutions if any are filed. Purdue Pharma, which filed for bankruptcy in 2019, is being restructured and will manufacture medications for addiction reversal and treatment while still producing OxyContin. The company’s initial outlay of $500 million will also go towards addiction treatment and prevention programs. However, some critics argue that the Sacklers have received a significant pass and that bankruptcy was not supposed to be an alternative justice system for powerful corporations and their wealthy owners.
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