US high court junks opioid settlement

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The US Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Purdue Pharma's $6-billion opioids settlement immunizing the Sackler family, which controlled the drugmaker, from future litigation.

In a 5-4 ruling, the judges agreed with the Justice Department which argued that the Sacklers, who earned tens of billions of dollars flooding the country with highly addictive opioids, should not gain sweeping legal protection in the controversial deal.