Purdue Pharma, the company that makes OxyContin, launched a $23.8 million ad campaign this week to inform people harmed by their drug where they can file claims against the company, The Associated Press reports.
The ad campaign is part of the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Purdue Pharma is trying to resolve almost 3,000 lawsuits over its role in the opioid crisis.
The company has proposed a settlement that could be worth more than $10 billion. The total includes the value of drugs it is producing, as well as a contribution of at least $3 billion from the Sackler family, which owns the company. About half of the states involved in the suits oppose the proposed settlement. The attorneys general in those states say it does not do enough to hold the company or family responsible.
Heroin & the Opioid Epidemic: From Understanding to Action
Heroin and other opioids are ravaging communities across America. Heroin-related deaths increased by more than five times between 2010 and 2017, and drug deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are seeing a sharp rise as well.
Published
February 2020