Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in White Plains, N.Y., on Friday granted a brief legal reprieve to the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma LP, shielding them from answering in court for their alleged role in feeding the nationwide opioid crisis, WSJ Pro Bankruptcy reported. Judge Drain didn’t grant Purdue’s request for a six-month stay of litigation that would bar the pursuit of the Sacklers for allegedly profiting from misleading sales of the opioid OxyContin. He pushed the drugmaker and protesting states to agree to stand down from court fights until Nov. 6, and talk instead. In the coming weeks, Purdue will try to build support for a 180-day litigation standstill among states and other government bodies that are pursuing the Sacklers in court. In exchange for an extended litigation stay, the Sacklers have agreed not to hide assets, and to hand over more information in Purdue’s bankruptcy.
