US Supreme Court blocks Purdue opioid settlement

The US Supreme Court is to hear a challenge from the Biden administration to the settlement agreed by Purdue Pharma that would protect owners the Sackler family from civil lawsuits over their role in the opioid epidemic.

Bankruptcy proceedings concerning Purdue and its affiliates were paused, and oral arguments are due to be held in December in the administration's appeal of a lower court's ruling upholding the settlement.

Under the settlement, the Sackler family would receive immunity in exchange for paying up to $6 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits filed by states, hospitals, opioid addicts and others who have sued the company over its marketing of the pain medication OxyContin (oxycodone).