Pharmalittle: Appeals court rules Purdue can shield Sacklers from lawsuits; chemo shortage blamed on drugmakers’ lack of investment

Hey there. STAT reporter Andrew Joseph here welcoming you to Wednesday’s edition of Pharmalittle, with Pharmalot himself off for the day. We’re based here in London, so instead of firing up another cup of stimulation, we’re more focused on what post-lunch snack awaits us. As we ponder, we’ll leave you with the latest headlines. …

A federal appeals court ruled that Purdue Pharma can shield its owners — members of the wealthy Sackler family — from thousands of lawsuits over the role the company played in the opioid crisis in exchange for a contribution of up to $6 billion to a proposed bankruptcy settlement, STAT writes. The Sackler family members insisted a bankruptcy deal would not be possible unless they were released from all future liability related to the harm caused by Purdue’s OxyContin painkiller. Their insistence became a sticking point, since unlike Purdue — which filed for bankruptcy protection — none of the Sackler family members and their many associates had taken the same step. The case now goes back to U.S. bankruptcy court to approve the settlement.

Johnson & Johnson’s first jury trial in nearly two years over allegations that its talc-based baby powder causes cancer could influence plaintiffs weighing the $8.9 billion settlement offer put forth by the company last month, Bloomberg reports. The trial in Anthony Hernandez Valadez’s suit alleging he got mesothelioma from asbestos-contaminated talc in J&J products is scheduled to go before a jury Wednesday in state court in Oakland, Calif. Due to Valadez’s failing health, the case was allowed to proceed as an exception to the order putting all litigation on hold.

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