Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Plan Rejected by Supreme Court, Billionaire Sacklers to Face Lawsuits
Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Plan Rejected by Supreme Court, Billionaire Sacklers to Face Lawsuits
The Supreme Court has rejected a bankruptcy plan for OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma that would have allocated billions from the wealthy Sackler family to combat opioid addiction, and the Sacklers would have been shielded from civil lawsuits related to their alleged role in the opioid crisis.
最高法院拒絕了美國痛經藥製造商普渡製藥公司的破產計劃，該計劃本應將億萬富豪薩克勒家族的數十億資產用於打擊阿片類藥物成癮問題，而且薩克勒家族的所謂涉嫌引發阿片類藥物危機的民事訴訟將會被保護。
The 5-4 decision marks a victory for a minority of opioid victims who voted against the settlement to continue pressing lawsuits against the Sackler family.
這項5-4的決定是阿片類藥物受害者的少數人的勝利，他們投票反對和解，繼續對薩克勒家族提起訴訟。
It is a setback for most victims and state and local governments who have accepted the settlement.
這是大多數受害者以及接受了和解的州和地方政府的挫敗。
The Wall Street Journal notes the ruling is among the highest-profile bankruptcy decisions ever from the high court, significantly weakening the ability of corporations and their insiders to use bankruptcy to resolve mass litigation.
《華爾街日報》指出，這一裁決是最高法院有史以來最具影響力的破產案例之一，極大削弱了公司及其內部人員使用破產來解決大規模訴訟的能力。
Purdue Pharma, which introduced OxyContin in the late 1990s and made billions from the prescription painkiller, faced thousands of opioid lawsuits by 2019.
普渡製藥公司在20世紀90年代末推出痛經藥奧斯康定，並從這種處方藥中賺取了數十億美元，到2019年面臨着數千起阿片類藥物訴訟案。
The company filed for Chapter 11 protection, though the Sackler family did not declare bankruptcy and moved much of their wealth to offshore trusts.
該公司申請了第11章破產保護，但薩克勒家族並未宣佈破產，而是將大部分財富轉移到了離岸信託基金中。
They agreed to pay $6 billion to settle civil claims, denying wrongdoing and arguing their settlement was the best way to fund addiction-fighting initiatives.
他們同意支付60億美元以解決民事索賠，否認有任何不當行爲，並聲稱他們的和解是資助防治成癮計劃的最佳途徑。
In 2021, a New York bankruptcy court approved a reorganization plan for Purdue.
2021年，紐約一個破產法庭批准了普渡製藥公司的重組計劃。
The WSJ report added that this plan included funds from the Sacklers' offshore trusts and ceded the company and its assets to creditors.
《華爾街日報》的報道還提到，該計劃包括從薩克勒家族的離岸信託基金中獲得的資金並將公司及其資產移交給債權人。
Most funds would go to state and local governments for opioid-related programs, with $750 million shared among roughly 130,000 individual opioid claimants.
大多數資金將用於州和地方政府的阿片類藥物相關項目，750萬美元將分配給大約13萬名阿片類藥物索賠人。
While nearly all claimants accepted the plan, it required dissenters to accept immunity for the Sacklers from ongoing and future litigation, which many viewed as inadequate compensation.
雖然幾乎所有的索賠人都接受了該計劃，但反對者必須接受對薩克勒家族的豁免，而這被許多人認爲是不充足的補償。
The Justice Department opposed Purdue's plan, arguing it would unlawfully extinguish individuals' rights to pursue civil lawsuits.
司法部反對普渡公司的計劃，認爲該計劃將非法地取消個人追求民事訴訟的權利。
The Office of the U.S. Trustee appealed to the Supreme Court, stating that the plan gave the Sacklers an unprecedented release from liability.
美國受託人辦公室向最高法院上訴，稱該計劃給予薩克勒家族前所未有的免責權。
Purdue lawyers argued that the third-party release was necessary under U.S. bankruptcy law to secure the Sacklers' $6 billion contribution.
普渡製藥公司的律師辯稱，第三方免責是根據美國破產法必要的，以確保薩克勒家族提供60億美元的捐款。
Purdue lawyer Gregory Garre stated that blocking the settlement would result in the evaporation of funds for opioid abatement and compensation, leaving creditors and victims with nothing and potentially costing lives.
普渡公司的律師格雷戈裏·加雷表示，阻止和解將導致用於防止成癮和賠償的資金消失，使債權人和受害者毫無所獲，甚至會造成生命的損失。
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
免責聲明：本文部分內容使用了Benzinga Neuro的幫助。此內容是通過AI工具部分製作的，並由Benzinga編輯進行了審查和發佈。
Photo via Shutterstock
圖片來自shutterstock。
譯文內容由第三人軟體翻譯。