The Family That Drugged America

Summary by Krater

This video details the history of OxyContin and Purdue Pharma, explaining how the Sackler family and aggressive marketing strategies fueled the opioid crisis in America.

From the video

Answers: How did Purdue Pharma and OxyContin start the opioid crisis?

• OxyContin history
• Purdue Pharma marketing
• Opioid crisis origins
• FDA approval controversy
• Sackler family liability

What it concludes

• Purdue Pharma marketed OxyContin aggressively by downplaying its addictiveness and hiding the dangers of the drug.
• The FDA approved OxyContin with a label stating that its delayed absorption reduced abuse liability, based on weak evidence provided by Purdue.
• Purdue utilized deceptive marketing campaigns, including visits by sales reps and sponsored pain societies, to encourage doctors to prescribe opioids for common pain.
• Despite the opioid crisis and subsequent lawsuits resulting in a 600 million dollar fine and guilty pleas by top executives, Purdue continued its aggressive sales tactics.
• The Sackler family protected their personal wealth through offshore bank accounts and structured the bankruptcy settlement to limit their personal liability.