Full History Of Purdue Pharma In Timeline From 1952

1952: Purdue Frederick Company sold to the Sackler brothers

In 1952, John Purdue Gray sold the Purdue Frederick Company to Arthur, Mortimer, and Raymond Sackler. This marked a significant shift in the company's ownership and direction.

1952: Company sold to the Sackler brothers

In 1952, the Purdue Frederick Company was sold to Arthur, Raymond, and Mortimer Sackler, who relocated the business to Yonkers, New York.

1971: Richard Sackler started work at Purdue Pharma

In 1971, Richard Sackler, the son of Raymond Sackler, began his career at Purdue Pharma.

1972: Contin Developed

In 1972, Contin (a controlled drug-release system) was developed.

1984: MS Contin released

In 1984, Purdue Pharma released its extended-release formulation of morphine, MS Contin.

1987: Arthur Sackler's death

In 1987, Arthur Sackler died and his share of the company passed to his brothers.

1991: Purdue Pharma L.P. incorporated

In 1991, Purdue Pharma L.P. was incorporated and focused on pain management medication.

February 2, 1995: Purdue meets with Curtis Wright

Between January 31 and February 2, 1995, Purdue Pharma representatives, met with Dr. Curtis Wright IV, the medical review officer for the FDA, in a hotel room near the FDA offices in Rockville, Maryland. Wright allowed the company to help draft his medical officer's review (MOR) of OxyContin for the FDA.

1995: OxyContin Brings in Revenue

Between 1995 and 2001, OxyContin brought in $2.8 billion in revenue for Purdue Pharma.

1996: OxyContin released

In 1996, OxyContin was released after Curtis Wright, an employee of the Food and Drug Administration approved its use on a 12-hour dosage cycle.

1997: Internal Memos Show Purdue Knew About Oxycontin Abuse

Internal company memos between 1997 and 1999 included the words "street value", "crush", or "snort", which indicates Purdue Pharma was aware of Oxycontin abuse.

1997: OxyContin prescriptions

There were about 670,000 OxyContin prescriptions in 1997.

1999: Craig Landau joins Purdue Pharma

In 1999, Craig Landau joined Purdue Pharma L.P.

1999: Opioid deaths and Purdue's marketing tactics

In 1999, Purdue Pharma was actively marketing OxyContin and employing aggressive tactics to persuade doctors to prescribe it. This period marks the beginning of a significant increase in opioid-related deaths, which from 1999 to 2020, nearly 841,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States, with prescription and illicit opioids responsible for 500,000 of those deaths.

1999: Richard Sackler named president

In 1999, Richard Sackler was named president of Purdue Pharma.

1999: Internal Memos Show Purdue Knew About Oxycontin Abuse

Internal company memos between 1997 and 1999 included the words "street value", "crush", or "snort", which indicates Purdue Pharma was aware of Oxycontin abuse.

1999: Promotion of OxyContin for non-cancer pain leads to increase in prescriptions

Purdue's promotion of OxyContin for the treatment of non–cancer-related pain led to a nearly tenfold increase in prescriptions for less serious pain in 1999.

2000: Reports of OxyContin Abuse Surface

In 2000, reports of OxyContin abuse began to surface. Purdue Pharma's RADARS program identified Oxycontin and hydrocodone as the most commonly abused pain medications.

2000: Executives Claimed No Knowledge of Abuse

In 2019, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Maggie Hassan stated Purdue Pharma executives may have lied when they told Congress that they had no knowledge of the extensive abuse and diversion of OxyContin before it was made known to them in 2000.

2001: OxyContin Brings in Revenue

Between 1995 and 2001, OxyContin brought in $2.8 billion in revenue for Purdue Pharma.

2001: Connecticut Attorney General Urges Purdue to Take Action on OxyContin Abuse

In 2001, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal urged Purdue to take action regarding abuse of OxyContin, noting little action beyond "cosmetic and symbolic steps".

2002: OxyContin prescriptions

There were about 6.2 million OxyContin prescriptions in 2002.

2003: Richard Sackler becomes co-chairman

In 2003, Richard Sackler became co-chairman of the board at Purdue Pharma.

2003: DEA Finds Purdue's Aggressive Methods Exacerbated OxyContin Abuse

In 2003, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) found that Purdue Pharma's "aggressive methods" had "very much exacerbated OxyContin's widespread abuse."

2004: West Virginia Sues Purdue for Excessive Prescription Costs

In 2004, the West Virginia Attorney General sued Purdue for reimbursement of "excessive prescription costs". The state charged Purdue with deceptive marketing, alleging patients took more of the drug than prescribed because the effects wore off before the 12-hour schedule. The case settled with Purdue paying the state US$10 million.

October 2006: Prosecutors Find Evidence of Crimes by Purdue Pharma Executives

In October 2006, government prosecutors found evidence that executives at Purdue Pharma may have committed multiple crimes, including wire fraud and money laundering, to boost sales of OxyContin.

2006: Justice Department Review

According to Purdue documents in a review conducted in 2006 by the Justice Department, Wright met with Purdue Pharma representatives in a hotel room near the FDA offices in Rockville, Maryland, between January 31 to February 2, 1995. He allowed the company to help draft his medical officer's review (MOR) of OxyContin for the FDA, which included approving the wording of certain texts to be used in OxyContin's package insert, or label. Wright resigned from the FDA a year later, and was subsequently employed as a consultant at Purdue with a substantially higher salary.

May 2007: Purdue Pleads Guilty to Misleading Public About Addiction Risk

In May 2007, Purdue pleaded guilty to misleading the public about OxyContin's risk of addiction and agreed to pay $600 million. The company's president, top lawyer, and former chief medical officer pleaded guilty as individuals to misbranding charges and agreed to pay fines. In addition, three top executives were charged with a felony and sentenced to 400 hours of community service in drug treatment programs.

October 4, 2007: Kentucky Sues Purdue Over OxyContin Abuse in Appalachia

On October 4, 2007, Kentucky officials sued Purdue because of widespread OxyContin abuse in Appalachia.

2007: Felony conviction for criminal misbranding

In 2007, Purdue Pharma had a felony conviction for criminal misbranding.

2007: Purdue Fined for Misleading the Public About OxyContin

In 2007, Purdue Pharma paid one of the largest fines ever against a pharmaceutical firm. The fine was related to the company misleading the public about the addictive nature of OxyContin.

2007: Rhodes Pharmaceuticals Established

In 2007, Rhodes Pharmaceuticals, a sister company to Purdue Pharma, was established in Rhode Island.

2007: Agreement to Track Suspicious Sales

In January 2017, the city of Everett, Washington sued Purdue, based on Purdue not intervening when they noted odd patterns of sale of their product, per agreement in the 2007 suit noted above.

2007: Settlement Between Purdue and the Government

In mid-2007, a $654m settlement between Purdue and the government over deceptive marketing claims fell far short of what prosecutors had actually sought just six months earlier.

2008: Purdue Starts OxyContin "Savings Card" Program

In 2008, Purdue started the OxyContin "Savings Card" program, with patients receiving discounts on their first five prescriptions. Internal data showed these discounts led to 60 percent more patients staying on OxyContin for longer than 90 days.

2010: Death of Mortimer Sackler

Mortimer Sackler died in 2010.

2012: Study Links OxyContin Marketing to Heroin Addiction

In 2012, The New England Journal of Medicine published a study that found that "76 percent of those seeking help for heroin addiction began by abusing pharmaceutical narcotics, primarily OxyContin" and drew a direct line between Purdue's marketing of OxyContin and the subsequent heroin epidemic in the U.S.

2013: Craig Landau appointed president and CEO of Purdue Pharma (Canada)

In 2013, Craig Landau was appointed president and CEO of Purdue Pharma (Canada).

September 2015: Purdue Pharma to acquire VM Pharma

In September 2015, Purdue Pharma announced it would acquire VM Pharma in the process gaining access to worldwide development and commercial rights to an allosteric selective tropomyosin receptor kinase inhibitor program, i.e., the Phase II candidate VM-902A. The deal could have generated more than US$213 million for VM Pharma.

December 23, 2015: Kentucky Settles With Purdue

On December 23, 2015, Kentucky settled with Purdue for $24 million.

2016: Cumulative revenues for OxyContin

By 2016, cumulative revenues for OxyContin had increased to US$31 billion.

2016: Sacklers Listed as One of Wealthiest Families

In 2016, Forbes magazine listed the Sacklers as one of the 20 wealthiest families in the U.S.

2016: OxyContin's 12-hour Schedule Investigation

In 2016, an investigation by the Los Angeles Times reported that OxyContin's 12-hour schedule does not adequately control pain for many people, resulting in withdrawal symptoms. This problem gives new insight into why so many people have become addicted.

January 2017: City of Everett Sues Purdue

In January 2017, the city of Everett, Washington sued Purdue based on increased costs for the city from the use of OxyContin, alleging Purdue did not follow legal agreements to track suspicious excess ordering or potential black market usage.

June 22, 2017: Craig Landau Appointed CEO

On June 22, 2017, Craig Landau was appointed CEO of Purdue Pharma.

2017: Cumulative revenues reach $35 billion

By 2017, cumulative revenues for OxyContin had increased to US$35 billion.

2017: McKinsey suggests Purdue pay rebates for overdoses

In a 2017 presentation to members of the Sackler family, McKinsey consultants suggested that Purdue pay pharmaceutical distributors a rebate for every overdose attributed to the pills the distributor sold.

2017: Death of Raymond Sackler

Raymond Sackler died in 2017.

May 2018: Justice Department Report Reveals Purdue's Awareness of OxyContin Abuse

In May 2018, a confidential Justice Department report revealed that Purdue Pharma was aware of reports that OxyContin pills were being crushed and snorted, stolen from pharmacies, and that some doctors were being charged with selling prescriptions, based on internal memos between 1997 and 1999.

May 2018: Six More States File Lawsuits Against Purdue

In May 2018, six states—Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas—filed lawsuits charging deceptive marketing practices against Purdue, adding to 16 previously filed lawsuits.

July 2018: Steve Miller Becomes Chairman

In July 2018, Steve Miller became the chairman of Purdue Pharma.

January 2019: 36 States Suing Purdue Pharma

By January 2019, 36 states were suing Purdue Pharma.

March 2019: Purdue Reaches Settlement in Oklahoma Lawsuit

In March 2019, Purdue Pharma reached a $270 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by Oklahoma, which claimed its opioids contributed to the deaths of thousands of people.

August 2019: Purdue and Sackler Family Negotiate Settlement

In August 2019, Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family were in negotiations to settle the claims for a payment of $10-$12 billion. Purdue filed for bankruptcy a few days after reaching this tentative settlement.

September 15, 2019: Purdue Pharma Files for Bankruptcy

On September 15, 2019, Purdue Pharma filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York City, facing numerous lawsuits related to the opioid crisis.

September 2019: New York AG Accuses Sackler Family of Hiding Money

In September 2019, the office of the New York Attorney General accused the Sackler family of hiding money by wiring at least $1 billion from company accounts to personal accounts overseas.

December 2019: Audit Reveals Sacklers Withdrew Billions from Purdue

In December 2019, an audit revealed that the Sacklers withdrew $10.7 billion from Purdue after the company began to receive legal scrutiny.

2019: Purdue continues to market opioids

As late as 2019, Purdue continued to market and sell opioids and continued to be involved in lawsuits around the opioid epidemic in the United States.

2019: Lawsuits Initiated Against Purdue

By 2019, over 1,000 lawsuits have been initiated against Purdue by state and local governments. States across the USA have filed claims for more than $2 trillion in the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy case.

2019: Sacklers Depart Purdue Pharma Board

By early 2019, the Sackler family members had departed from the Purdue Pharma board, leaving a board of five members.

2019: Massachusetts AG Sues Purdue and Sackler Family Members

In 2019, Massachusetts attorney general Maura Healey filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma which also claimed eight members of the Sackler family were "personally responsible" for deceptive sales practices and in fact had "micromanaged" a "deceptive sales campaign".

2019: Senators Request Memo on Purdue Executives' Knowledge of OxyContin Abuse

In 2019, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Maggie Hassan requested the Justice Department give them a copy of the memo that recommends that Purdue executives Michael Friedman, Paul Goldenheim and Howard Udell should have been charged with felonies.

2019: Purdue Frederick Company becomes Purdue Pharma L.P.

In 2019, The Purdue Frederick Company changed its name to Purdue Pharma L.P.

October 2020: Purdue Agrees to $8 Billion Settlement

In October 2020, Purdue agreed to an $8 billion settlement that includes a $2 billion criminal forfeiture, a $3.54 billion criminal fine, and $2.8 billion in damages for its civil liability. It will plead guilty to three criminal charges, and it will become a public benefit company under a trust.

October 21, 2020: Purdue Reaches Settlement Worth $8.3 Billion

On October 21, 2020, it was reported that Purdue Pharma reached a settlement potentially worth US$8.3 billion, admitting to conspiring with doctors dispensing medication "without a legitimate medical purpose". Members of the Sackler family agreed to pay US$225 million, and the company announced it would close.

2020: Drug overdose deaths

By 2020, nearly 841,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States, with prescription and illicit opioids responsible for 500,000 of those deaths.

March 2021: House Bill Introduced to Limit Sackler Family Immunity

In March 2021, the United States House of Representatives introduced a bill aimed at preventing the bankruptcy judge from granting legal immunity to members of the Sackler family during Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy proceedings.

August 2021: SACKLER Act Introduced in Congress

In August 2021, US Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Mark DeSaulnier introduced a SACKLER Act to try and prevent people who have not filed for bankruptcy from being released from lawsuits brought by states, municipalities or the U.S. government.

September 2021: Purdue Pharma to Rebrand as Knoa Pharma

In September 2021, Purdue Pharma announced its intention to rebrand as Knoa Pharma, signaling a shift in the company's identity amidst ongoing legal challenges.

September 2021: Purdue Wins Approval of Restructuring Plan

In September 2021, the company won approval of a $4.5 billion plan that will legally dissolve the pharmaceutical manufacturer and restructure it into a public benefit corporation focused on addressing the opioid crisis and repaying individuals and families who were damaged by its products.

October 2021: House Judicial Committee Refers Bill on Sackler Immunity

In October 2021, the House Judicial Committee referred the bill regarding Sackler family legal immunity to the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law.

December 2021: Settlement Overturned by Judge McMahon

In December 2021, the restructuring settlement was overturned by Judge Colleen McMahon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, on the basis that the bankruptcy code did not permit a judge to release the Sacklers from civil liability.

2021: McKinsey reaches settlement with attorneys general

In 2021, McKinsey reached a settlement with the attorneys general of 47 states, the District of Columbia, and five territories to pay $537 million and to agree not to work with certain narcotics manufacturers.

2021: Dopesick and The Crime of the Century released

In 2021, the Hulu miniseries Dopesick and the HBO film The Crime of the Century, which both address Purdue Pharma's downfall, were released.

2021: Sacklers Seek Immunity from Opioid Lawsuits

In 2021, the Sacklers sought a controversial ruling from judge Robert D. Drain to grant them immunity and protect their assets from lawsuits linked to the opioid crisis.

March 2022: Bankruptcy Judge Approves Settlement

In March 2022, U.S. bankruptcy judge Robert Drain approved a settlement involving eight states plus the District of Columbia, where the Sacklers would be required to pay between $5.5 and $6 billion.

January 2023: Bill on Sackler Immunity Lapses

In January 2023, the bill that would have stopped the bankruptcy judge in the case from granting members of the Sackler family legal immunity during the bankruptcy proceedings lapsed at the end of the 117th Congress.

May 2023: U.S. Second Circuit Court Endorses $6 Billion Settlement

In May 2023, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York endorsed the $6 billion settlement where the Sackler family gave up ownership of Purdue, and all profits were sent to a fund for opioid addiction prevention and treatment. This ruling shields the Sacklers from opioid-related lawsuits.

May 2023: Institutions Drop Sackler Name

As of May 2023, at least 20 institutions have dropped the Sackler name, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Yale University in the USA; and the National Gallery in London, due to the role of Purdue in the opioid crisis.

August 10, 2023: Supreme Court Pauses Bankruptcy Settlement

On August 10, 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States paused the bankruptcy settlement and agreed to hear an appeal made by the United States Department of Justice regarding the legality of the settlement that would shield the Sackler family from civil lawsuits over their role in the opioid epidemic.

August 2023: SACKLER Act Status

As at August 2023, the proposed SACKLER Act has not passed into law.

2023: Purdue Pharma Remains in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

As of August 2023, Purdue Pharma is still in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, awaiting a Department of Justice appeal to the United States Supreme Court regarding a ruling from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court Of Appeals that allows the bankruptcy proceedings to continue.

2023: Value of 2004 Settlement

In 2004, Purdue agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by West Virginia by paying the state US$10 million, equivalent to approximately $16M in 2023.

2023: Netflix releases Painkiller series

In 2023, the Netflix series Painkiller, which addresses Purdue Pharma's downfall, was released.

2023: Value of 2007 Settlement

In May 2007, Purdue agreed to pay $600 million (equivalent to approximately $882M in 2023) in one of the largest pharmaceutical settlements in U.S. history.

June 27, 2024: Supreme Court Overturns Settlement in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P.

On June 27, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P., overturning the settlement and remanding the case to the lower court. The majority ruled that the proposed settlement was illegal because the US Bankruptcy Code does not permit granting liability relief to a party, like the Sackler family, that did not file for bankruptcy protection.

History of Purdue Pharma in Timeline