The Sackler family "channeled $ 1 billion into different bank accounts"

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Tablets distributed from a bottle of OxyContin in a gloved hand — Legend

The Sackler family, owner of Purdue Pharma, is accused of fueling the opioid crisis in the United States

The billionaire Sackler family has "channeled" at least $ 1 billion to different banks, including accounts in Switzerland, officials said.

The Sacklers own Purdue Pharma, accused of fueling the opioid crisis in the United States with drugs like OxyContin.

Purdue is currently the subject of lawsuits filed by more than 2,000 plaintiffs, including nearly two dozen US states.

Forbes estimates that the Sacklers are worth $ 13 billion, but many states claim that the family has more money hidden abroad.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James said she had requested documents from 33 financial institutions. However, the $ 1 billion electronic transfers were revealed by documents from only one institution.

"Documents from a single financial institution have revealed approximately $ 1 billion in electronic transfers between the Sacklers, the entities they control and various financial institutions, including those who channeled funds. to Swiss bank accounts, "said Ms. James, confirming the first statements of the sinister York Times.

She did not name the financial institutions involved.

In response, a spokesman for Mortimer DA Sackler, a former board member of the company, said in a statement to the US media that "there was" nothing to do with it. interesting about these ten-year-old transfers, which are perfectly legal and appropriate in every respect ".

"This is a cynical attempt by a hostile enemy bureau to make the slanderous headline in an attempt to torpedo a win-win settlement, supported by many other states, and would allow billions of dollars to be paid to communities and people in the country needing help, "the spokesman added.

What is the last with the case?

It was reported Thursday that Purdue Pharma had reached a multi-billion dollar interim agreement to settle the lawsuits against it.

According to the draft agreement, the Sacklers should give up control of Purdue Pharma and personally pay $ 3 billion to the settlement.

The company would then file for bankruptcy, dissolve and reform, and be stripped of next month's court proceedings.

However, a number of states, including New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, where the company's headquarters are located, have indicated that they are not parties to the agreement and that they will continue their fight against the society.

Legend

Protesters of Prescription Addiction Intervention Now (Pain) protested Thursday at Purdue Pharma headquarters

William Tong, attorney general of Connecticut, said: "The magnitude of the suffering, death and destruction caused by Purdue and the Sacklers far exceeds anything that has been offered so far."

Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania's chief attorney, said the settlement was "a slap for anyone who had to bury a loved one because of the destruction and greed of this family."

"This allows the Sackler family to ward off the billionaires and admit no wrongdoing," he added.

What is the opioid crisis?

Opioids are a group of drugs ranging from codeine to illicit drugs such as heroin. Prescription opioids are primarily used to relieve pain, but can be highly addictive.

On average, 130 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which says more than 200,000 Americans have died from opioid-related overdoses during last two decades.

Purdue is one of the opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies cited in more than 2,000 lawsuits in a federal trial scheduled to begin in Ohio next month.

The cases claim that corporations are responsible for the American crisis of opioid addiction.

Legend of the mediaMore than 200,000 people in the United States have died from opioid addiction

Companies such as Purdue are accused of using deceptive practices to sell opioids, including minimizing their addictive quality.

Purdue said the US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, had approved the labels for OxyContin containing warnings about the risks.

In another case, a US judge ordered pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson to pay $ 572 million for its contribution to the opioid addiction crisis in Oklahoma last month. Purdue had already settled with the state $ 270 million earlier this year.

Who are the Sackler family?

The brothers Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler were all doctors in Brooklyn, New York, who in the early 1950s bought a drug company called Purdue Frederick, which would become Purdue Pharma.

Today, the family is made up of prolific philanthropists and their names adorn the wings of cultural buildings around the world, including the Louvre in Paris.

While the opioid scandal has swamped the family, a number of prestigious museums, including the Tate in the UK and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, have announced that they will no longer withdraw money. of the family.

The Sacklers claimed that they were passive members of Purdue Pharma 's board of directors, which had approved routine management requests and had not participated in the marketing of OxyContin.

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