opioid

The corporate consulting giant issued a rare apology for its behind-the-scenes work with Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin.

McKinsey Apologizes For Helping Purdue Pharma 'Turbocharge' Opioid Sales

4:17pm December 09, 2020

by Brian Mann

The corporate consulting giant issued a rare apology for its behind-the-scenes work with Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin. One senator called McKinsey's behavior "abhorrent."

Newly public documents detail the role of members of the Sackler family, owners of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, during years when the privately owned drug company launched criminal schemes designed to "turbocharge" sales of Oxycontin and other highly ad

National

Critics Want Sacklers To Face Criminal Charges For Role In Opioid Crisis

3:05pm November 25, 2020

by Brian Mann

A new plea deal with the Justice Department is the second time the family-owned company admitted criminal schemes to boost Oxycontin sales. Despite their hands-on role, the Sacklers face no charges.

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In May 2019, China's government banned the production and sale of fentanyl and its many variants. But more than a year later, Chinese vendors continue to market the precursors used to make fentanyl online and ship them directly to customers in the United

'We Are Shipping To The U.S.': Inside China's Online Synthetic Drug Networks

5:03pm November 17, 2020

by Emily Feng

China banned fentanyl last year, but an NPR investigation reveals how Chinese vendors continue to market the chemicals used to make the drug on e-commerce and social media sites.

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Researchers point to a devastating new development: Fentanyl is making swift inroads in the western U.S., where it used to be rare.

National

Street Fentanyl Surges In Western U.S., Leading To Thousands Of Deaths

5:00am November 17, 2020

by Brian Mann

New research shows the use of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl spreading fast in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle. Chinese companies are routing the street drug through cartels in Mexico.

President Donald Trump speaks at the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit on April 24, 2019 in Atlanta. President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency.

Opioid Crisis: Critics Say Trump Fumbled Response To Another Deadly Epidemic

5:01am October 29, 2020

by Brian Mann

President Trump promised to end America's opioid crisis. On his watch overdose deaths flattened in 2018 then surged again to record levels.

Purdue Pharma headquarters in Stamford, Conn., in 2019. Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, and its owners, the Sackler family, have faced hundreds of lawsuits over the company's alleged role in the opioid epidemic that has killed more than 200,000 Ame

Purdue Pharma Reaches $8B Opioid Deal With Justice Department Over OxyContin Sales

4:42pm October 21, 2020

by Brian Mann

Critics say the settlement doesn't hold company executives or members of the Sackler family accountable for their aggressive marketing of OxyContin, which helped fuel the nation's opioid epidemic.

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The federal government estimates one in 10 healthcare workers experience substance use disorder. There is rising concern that medical professionals are stealing powerful opioid pain medications meant for their patients.

National

Some Health Workers Suffering From Addiction Steal Drugs Meant For Patients

1:31pm October 05, 2020

by Brian Mann

The Drug Enforcement Agency relies on hospitals to identify nurses and doctors who misuse drugs such as morphine and fentanyl. But "only a fraction of those who are diverting drugs are ever caught."

Insys Therapeutics founder John Kapoor was convicted in a bribery and kickback scheme that prosecutors said helped fuel the opioid crisis.

Pharmaceutical Executive John Kapoor Sentenced To 66 Months In Prison In Opioid Trial

6:29pm January 23, 2020

His sentencing is the culmination of a months-long criminal trial that resulted in the first successful prosecution of pharmaceutical executives tied to the opioid epidemic.

John Kapoor, founder of Arizona-based Insys Therapeutics, is scheduled to be sentenced this month.

Pharmaceutical Executives Face Prison Time In Case Linked To Opioid Crisis

1:10pm January 13, 2020

by Gabrielle Emanuel

John Kapoor, the former billionaire who founded drugmaker Insys Therapeutics, is among the executives to be sentenced for racketeering.

Cardinal Health was one of a handful of corporations to strike a last-minute settlement with two Ohio counties, to avoid the first major trial in the landmark federal litigation effort concerning the opioid health crisis.

National

Opioid Trial: 4 Companies Reach Tentative Settlement With Ohio Counties

12:46pm October 21, 2019

by Brian Mann

Four defendants, including three big U.S. distributors, have struck a deal with Summit and Cuyahoga counties. It doesn't resolve thousands of other lawsuits filed against the firms across the U.S.

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