Supreme Court Rejects Purdue Pharma’s Multibillion-Dollar Opioid Settlement

At issue was whether bankruptcy law permits the drug maker’s restructuring to include legal protections for the family who founded the company.

Purdue Pharma headquarters in downtown Stamford, Conn., on April 2, 2019. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The Supreme Court ruled 5–4 on June 27 that U.S. bankruptcy law does not allow courts to approve an opioid manufacturer’s bankruptcy settlement that extinguishes the claims of those alleging they were harmed by opioid use.

The case is Harrington v. Purdue Pharma LP.