Comment
Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Deposed in a 2004 lawsuit against Purdue, and said in her testimony that her OxyContin addiction caused her to try other drugs and start drinking again. She was fired after 21 years at Purdue for "poor work performance." And yes, Rudy Giuliani did help broker a deal between the US government and Purdue Pharma. Tyler Ritter and Uzo Aduba on Netflix's "Painkiller." Keri Anderson/Netflix A key part of "Painkiller" involves fictional lawyer Edie Flowers (Uzo Aduba), working for the US attorney's office as she tries to bring a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma in the mid-2000s. Despite their best efforts, the office eventually reaches a deal with Purdue, which sees them plead guilty to charges of fraudulent marketing and misbranding of OxyContin.Part of the reason why the company reached this agreement was because of the efforts of the lawyer they hired — Rudy Giuliani. As Keefe reported, Giuliani originally tried to "scuttle the case." Later, however, Giuliani and the other Purdue lawyers went above lead prosecutor John Brownlee's head to complain to James Comey, who was the deputy attorney general at the time, The Guardian reported. Per The Guardian, Giuliani ultimately helped secure an agreement with Brownlee that prevented Purdue from facing additional prosecution over OxyContin and kept the company's senior executives who'd pleaded guilty as individuals — Udell, former medical director Dr. Paul D. Goldenheim, and then-president Michael Friedman — from doing prison time. Instead, Udell, Goldenheim, and Friedman paid a collective $34.5 million in fines, while Purdue was fined $640 million.By getting Brownlee to agree to prosecute the parent company, Purdue Frederick, rather than Purdue Pharma, Giuliani and his team were also able to prevent a ban against Purdue Pharma doing future business with the federal government, which manages public health programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and the Veterans Administration health system, The Guardian reported. This allowed Purdue to keep selling OxyContin without limitations, despite the guilty plea.In an earlier statement emailed to Insider regarding "Painkiller," a representative for Purdue Pharma said:"We have the greatest sympathy and respect for those who have suffered as a result of the opioid crisis, and we are currently focused on concluding our bankruptcy so that urgently needed funds can flow to address the crisis. Under our settlement, Purdue Pharma would cease to exist and Knoa Pharma, a newly formed company with a public-minded mission, would emerge. The settlement would deliver over $10 billion of value for opioid crisis abatement, overdose rescue medicines, and victim compensation."On August 1o, the Supreme Court temporarily halted Purdue Pharma's planned bankruptcy settlement, which would prevent the Sackler family members from being held personally liable in opioid-related suits. Read next TV Netflix
Add Comment