Sackler family faces legal action over role in opioid epidemic

Members of the Sackler family — who own Purdue Pharma, the maker of the prescription opioid OxyContin — face "mass litigation" for their alleged role in the opioid epidemic, unnamed sources told The Guardian.

Suffolk County, N.Y., recently sued members of the family over opioid overdose deaths spiking in local communities, sources said. Lawyers said this specific case could cause hundreds of other U.S. cities, counties and states to follow suit.

Prosecutors in Connecticut and New York are also considering charging the Sacklers with criminal fraud and racketeering over how OxyContin was marketed to physicians, legal sources told The Guardian.

Suffolk County already sued Purdue Pharma and included members of the Sackler family in an amended complaint filed in October, according to The Guardian.

More articles on opioids:

Opioid misuse study examines trends based on sexual orientation
Geisinger launches opioid reduction initiative
Massachusetts lost $15.2B to opioid epidemic in 2017

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