Supreme Court blocks Purdue Pharma opioid settlement that shields Sackler family of liability

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Ryan McGinnis/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court on Thursday threw out an opioid settlement for Purdue Pharma that would have shielded the Sackler family from criminal liability.

The 5-4 opinion was delivered by Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Under the nationwide settlement deal, the Sacklers would have provided roughly $6 billion to redress harm from opioid addiction and give up ownership of the company. The sum would have been paid out to 138,000 victims and state governments and tribal communities.

But in turn, the family behind OxyContin would’ve received immunity from any future opioid-related lawsuits and retained billions in past profits from drug sales.

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