Purdue Pharma, the embattled maker of the drug OxyContin, finds itself close to settling some of the thousands of lawsuits filed against it for the company's role in fueling the ongoing opioid epidemic.
The settlement forces the Sackler family to give up control of the Stamford, Connecticut-based business, according to the Associated Press, while the company will pay up to $12 billion over time.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovic stated that the deal was the fastest way to help communities hit hard by the crisis while also increasing the payout initially offered by the defendant.
The pharmaceutical giant had been facing lawsuits from thousands of state, local, and Native American tribal governments. About 2,000 governments have agreed to the tentative deal, but about half of the states have not signed on.
"The families who were hurt by Purdue and the Sacklers have spoken loud and clear that this case demands real accountability, and I will continue to fight for that," Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, who did not agree to the terms, wrote in a statement according to WBUR. “It’s critical that all the facts come out about what this company and its executives and directors did, that they apologize for the harm they caused, and that no one profits from breaking the law."
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal also refrained from endorsing the settlement saying on Twitter, “New Jersey will continue to pursue all available legal options against those responsible. And if Purdue cannot pay for the harm it inflicted, the Sacklers will.”
The potential settlement comes two weeks after Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay Oklahoma $572 million for its part in spreading addictive painkillers, a landmark first court decision during the opioid crisis that still fell short of the $17.2 billion the state was pursuing.
In March, Purdue and the Sacklers settled with the Sooner State for $272 million to pay for treatment, addiction research, and the state's legal fees.
Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
About 780,000 pressure washers sold at retailers like Home Depot are being recalled across the U.S. and Canada, due to a projectile hazard that has resulted in fractures and other injuries among some consumers.
