Responsible for thousands of opioid deaths Swiss millions for American pharmaceutical billionaires

The Sacklers and their pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma are being blamed for the opioid crisis in the U.S. and hit with countless lawsuits. Exclusive research uncovers the family's business in Switzerland.

The Sackler family, owner of the insolvent pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, which is facing lawsuits in the USA, continued to make high sales of painkillers in Switzerland. This was revealed by an investigation by the investigative newsroom "The Examination", in which Tamedia was involved alongside the "Washington Post", "Der Spiegel" and other international media.

The demand for strong and addictive opioids has recently stabilized at a high level in Switzerland. In the USA, the company initially boosted the market with donations to distributors, said one expert. Swiss doctors and healthcare organizations received over 3.5 million Swiss francs from the Mundipharma group of companies, which is linked to the Sacklers, between 2016 and 2023, Tamedia wrote. The financial contributions were not linked to any conditions, the company announced.

Behind Mundipharma lies an opaque network of more than 100 companies in over 40 countries. According to the research, the Sacklers have connections to several Mundipharma companies.

Supreme Court rejects insolvency plan: "inappropriate"

According to Tamedia, the Sacklers are among the "most unpopular families in the USA." The entrepreneurs are accused of being partly responsible for the deadly opioid crisis affecting millions of Americans. Their company Purdue Pharma is said to have flooded the market with addictive painkillers for years.

The billionaires deny the allegations, saying they have always "acted ethically and lawfully", Tamedia continues. They are facing countless lawsuits in the USA. In a court ruling, the damage claims are estimated at 40 trillion dollars. The question is who should pay, as Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy in 2021.

However, the US Supreme Court rejected the insolvency plan. In its decision announced at the end of June, the Supreme Court ruled that the plan's comprehensive protection of the Sacklers from future civil lawsuits by opioid victims and their families was inadequate.