Purdue can shield wealthy Sackler family from opioid lawsuits, court rules

The ruling cleared the way for the pharma company to settle cases tied to the epidemic that caused more than 500,000 deaths

The billionaire family behind Purdue Pharma, the maker of the powerful and highly addictive prescription painkiller OxyContin, can be protected from lawsuits related to their company's role in the opioids crisis, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday.

The second US circuit court of appeals in New York determined the company can shield its owners from legal claims in exchange for a $6bn contribution to the company's broader bankruptcy settlement, in a ruling that also cleared the way for Purdue to settle lawsuits tied to America's devastating opioid epidemic.