Purdue Is Said to Ready Possible Bankruptcy Amid Opioid Lawsuits

Oxycontin-maker Purdue Pharma LP is preparing for a possible bankruptcy filing as it faces hundreds of lawsuits over its role in the U.S. opioid epidemic, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal reported March 4.

The drugmaker has hired advisers to prepare for a potential filing, the Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter. Bankruptcy would let the company negotiate claims with some of the more than 1,500 cities, states, local governments and other entities that have sued Purdue and other health companies over their roles in the opioid epidemic.

Purdue spokesman Robert Josephson declined to comment on the reports. ...