NYU Strips Sackler Name, Science Program

New York University is expunging the Sackler name from its Graduate Biomedical Institute, a decision the school attributed to the family’s role in the ongoing opioid epidemic. The Sackler family owns Purdue Pharma, manufacturer of the painkiller OcyContin. The drug generated billions of dollars for the Sacklers thanks in part to a marketing campaign that deliberately and severely downplayed OxyContin’s addictive qualities. Purdue on Wednesday agreed to an $8.3 billion settlement with the Department of Justice and pleaded guilty to three federal criminal charges, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and violating federal anti-kickback laws by paying doctors to write more prescriptions for OxyContin.