McKinsey to pay $650 mn to settle US criminal case on opioids

Consulting giant McKinsey & Company will pay $650 million to settle US criminal charges that it collaborated with Purdue Pharma to intentionally misbrand opioids, worsening a public health crisis, officials announced Friday.

US prosecutors unveiled a sweeping deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) over McKinsey efforts that helped Purdue “turbocharge” sales of the highly addictive OxyContin opioid, responsible for deadly overdoses.