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Purdue's offering adds to its efforts to redefine the company as a supporter of the fight against addiction while fighting against legal cases. (Photo: Shutterstock)The company that created OxyContin offers free doses of an opioid abuse treatment as part of its offer to solve more than 1,000 trials accusing the drug maker of helping to fuel the opioid crisis.
Purdue Pharma has stated several times that it will be distributing doses of a new version of buprenorphine – which helps opioid addicts to get rid of drugs – as part of any settlement, according to four people close to the attorneys general and federal authorities. judge. They asked not to be named because the negotiations are confidential.
Related: The opioid crisis is now a fentanyl crisis
The new version of the drug is based on a patent that lists the billionaire doctor and former president of Purdue, Richard Sackler, among the six inventors. Sackler's father co-founded Purdue. A spokesman for the company declined to comment on the discussions.
This is another sign that opioid manufacturers and drug wholesalers are looking for a solution to the conflict that kills more than 100 Americans every day and could result in billions of dollars in penalties. Bloomberg News reported last week that Endo International Plc was seeking to resolve all the lawsuits regarding its Opana painkiller in order to limit its legal exposure and to withdraw from a branch agreement.
"I have to say it's a pretty smart move," said Richard Ausness, a law professor at the University of Kentucky. "Over the past 20 years, Mr. Purdue has shown no contrition or remorse, so I consider this free drug offer as a smart bargaining tactic to limit what they pay for any settlement."
Buprenorphine, approved for the first time by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2002, has been shown to be effective in treating opioid-related disorders. It is available as tablets and films, although the Sackler patent refers to a wafer that could dissolve more quickly. It is owned by Rhodes Pharmaceuticals LP, a drug manufacturer also owned by the Sacklers.
A lawyer from Rhodes Pharmaceuticals said that if a drug was developed, it would not be profitable.
Sackler's patent was first reported by the Financial Times.
Last week, the FDA signed another version of buprenorphine. Methadone and naltrexone are other forms of drug-assisted treatment.
Purdue's offering adds to its efforts to redefine the company as a supporter of the fight against addiction while fighting against legal cases. He also helped finance the distribution of naloxone antidotes, bought advertising in the press and praised his efforts, and pledged $ 3.4 million to a non-profit company developing a cheaper version of naloxone.
Purdue's commitment is part of the efforts of its accused colleagues to create goodwill and facilitate negotiations for a settlement. Wholesaler Cardinal Health Inc. donated at least $ 3 million to about 70 organizations, while McKesson Corp. has injected $ 100 million in the fight against the crisis of opioid abuse.
The Purdue offer could offer desperately sought treatment options by communities and states suing society, but it is also a tactic to reduce their financial contribution to a comprehensive settlement and appeal to the US District Court Judge Dan Polster, who oversees the litigation. Lahav, a professor at the Law School of the University of Connecticut.
"If this is part of the settlement talks, it's not just about goodwill – it's really saying," I'm softening the deal, "she said. "No matter what people are willing to accept, they can do it. The question is this: will the judge feel if companies are doing enough in light of the exposure?
Last year, more than 49,000 people died of an opioid overdose, an increase of nearly 7,000 from the previous year. Governments are accusing drug companies and wholesalers of minimizing health risks and nullifying the benefits of painkillers through marketing campaigns. The applicants are seeking to recover the societal costs of dealing with addictions and overdoses as part of a settlement that they believe would be similar to the 1998 Large Tobacco Agreement, which ultimately generated $ 246 billion.
Polster urged the parties to reach a settlement that helps tackle the roots of the opioid problem and not just transfer money. Purdue's offer seems to meet a certain level, said Ausness. "This type of free drug offer is a tangible and non-monetary benefit of a settlement," he said.
Companies subject to lawsuits regularly seek ways to influence public opinion. Researchers at Harvard Business School, who have been studying 20 years of lawsuits against public companies, found that targeted advertising increased by 23% after filing a complaint and increased the likelihood of a favorable outcome.
The consolidated record is In Re: National Opioid Prescription Dispute, 17-md-2804, United States District Court, Northern Ohio District (Cleveland).
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