Purdue Pharma — Ethics Grade F

Purdue Pharma receives an overall ethics grade of F (0/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Pharmaceuticals. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 50
• privacy: 80
• consumer: 0
• environment: 40
• humanRights: 5

Documented incidents (3)

• Opioid Crisis Misconduct (high, 2020) — Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for its role in the opioid epidemic. The company admitted to defrauding federal health agencies and violating anti-kickback statutes to increase OxyContin sales.
• Misbranding of OxyContin (high, 2007) — The company and its executives pleaded guilty to misbranding OxyContin by claiming it was less addictive and less subject to abuse than other pain medications, despite knowing the high potential for addiction.
• Sackler Family Immunity Dispute (high, 2023) — The company’s bankruptcy plan sparked massive controversy for including a provision that would shield members of the billionaire Sackler family from future civil lawsuits related to the opioid crisis.

Documented good deeds

• Naloxone Development — Development of low-cost naloxone (opioid reversal agent) as part of bankruptcy restructuring to mitigate overdose deaths.

Ethical alternatives

• BioNTech SE — Strong focus on innovative mRNA technology with transparent research practices.