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NY Sues Sackler Family, Purdue & Other Drug Cos. for Profiting from Opioid Crisis

HeadlineMar 29, 2019

New York state announced a sweeping lawsuit against members of the Sackler family, the owner of Purdue Pharma, which makes OxyContin, the highly addictive drug at the center of the opioid epidemic. New York Attorney General Letitia James accused the Sacklers of masterminding a scheme that “literally profited off of … suffering and death.” This is Letitia James speaking at a press conference Thursday.

Attorney General Letitia James: “And as Purdue sold more and more opioids, the Sackler family transferred more and more and more wealth to their personal accounts. And as the lawsuits have piled up against the Sackler family and Purdue for their roles in this crisis, they continue to move funds into trusts and, yes, offshore accounts.”

Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family are facing multiple lawsuits. A group of over 500 cities, counties and Native American tribes filed a lawsuit against the Sacklers last week, accusing them of lying about the dangers of OxyContin and deceitful marketing of the drug. The New York suit names five other opioid manufacturers, including Johnson & Johnson and Israeli company Teva.

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