Sackler family wins immunity from further opioid litigation

A US judge has approved a bankruptcy plan for the maker of OxyContin painkillers, shielding its wealthy owners the Sacklers from further legal action over their roles in America's opioid epidemic.

Under the deal, Purdue Pharma will pay billions to settle lawsuits related to the crisis.

The Sackler family will also give up control of the drugmaker.

But they also have immunity from future lawsuits, despite strong opposition.

In 2020, Purdue pled guilty to criminal charges over its marketing of Oxycontin, a painkiller it knew was addictive and being widely abused.

Those charges included defrauding health agencies and making illegal payments to doctors to encourage the over-prescription of opioids, leading to overdoses and addiction which strained public health and policing resources in cities and towns across the US.

The company filed for bankruptcy in 2019, saying it would restructure and help tackle addiction.

However, the Sacklers have always denied any personal responsibility for the crisis, which has affected millions of people over the last 20 years.

Under the bankruptcy plan, which was opposed from nearly all US states, native American tribes, hospitals and other creditors, the family will pay $4.5bn over a decade towards settling the outstanding lawsuits against them.

Bankruptcy judge Robert Drain said he had expected the Sacklers to make a larger contribution and that with litigation, it might have been achieved.

"This is a bitter result," he told reporters, but vowed not to jeopardise what had been agreed.

Only small amendments were requested before he approved the plan, he added.