Nation Nov 14 Judge says he’ll approve opioid settlement with Purdue Pharma and Sackler family By Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press
Health Jun 18 Watch 5:58 U.S. states agree to multi-billion dollar settlement with Purdue Pharma over opioid crisis A historic and national $7.4 billion dollar settlement has been reached with Purdue Pharma, the maker of the opioid OxyContin that spurred a major start of the opioid epidemic. A prior settlement had been struck down by the Supreme Court. By Lisa Desjardins, Azhar Merchant
Health May 15 Watch 5:44 What’s behind the significant drop in opioid overdose deaths Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. plunged last year to their lowest level since 2019, according to the CDC. In 2024, nationwide overdose deaths fell by nearly 30,000 from the year before, a drop of about 27 percent. There were… By John Yang, Mike Fritz, Azhar Merchant
Nation Jan 31 FDA approves painkiller designed to eliminate the risk of addiction associated with opioids The Food and Drug Administration approved the pill from Vertex Pharmaceuticals for acute pain that often occurs after surgery or injuries. It's the first new pharmaceutical approach to treating pain in 20 years. By Matthew Perrone, Associated Press
Nation Dec 19 Watch 6:41 Leading researcher explains how viewing addiction as a brain disorder improves treatments This week, we are reporting on some promising treatments for two of the deadliest drugs in America: opioids and alcohol. William Brangham sat down with one of the nation’s leading researchers who is studying America’s addictions and how we can… By William Brangham, Mike Fritz
Dec 09 People hit hardest by opioid crisis often don’t get a say in how settlement money is spent By Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press Public health advocates say the money should be used in ways proven to save lives, prevent drug use and focus on racial equity and that the decisions should be transparent. But many communities are following regular government spending practices rather… Continue reading
May 15 Overdose fatalities fell last year, but the full picture is more complicated By Laura Santhanam While these national figures offer a rare glimmer of good news on this grim issue, outcomes vary greatly in different states. Continue reading
Feb 13 Watch 7:21 FDA warns addictive ‘gas station heroin’ supplement widely available in U.S. By Ali Rogin, Courtney Norris The Food and Drug Administration has issued warnings about a potentially addictive dietary supplement that’s widely available in the U.S. "Neptune’s Fix" is often sold as a supplement and features an ingredient called tianeptine, popularly known as "gas-station heroin." Ali… Continue watching
Dec 04 Treasury announces strike force as U.S. and China pursue crackdown on illicit fentanyl trafficking By Fatima Hussein, Associated Press The Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force will bring together personnel and intelligence from throughout the Treasury Department to more effectively collaborate on stopping the flow of drugs into the country. Continue reading
May 26 Drug distributor that failed to flag suspicious opioid orders gets license revoked after yearslong delay By Joshua Goodman, Jim Mustian, Associated Press The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration stripped one of the nation's largest drug distributors of its license to sell highly addictive painkillers Friday. Continue reading