& Company, one of the world’s leading consultancies, has agreed to pay $650 million as part of a deal to settle a federal criminal investigation into its consulting work for Purdue Pharma. The company has been accused of helping to increase sales of the painkiller OxyContin, one of the main causes of the opioid crisis in the United States. The agreement was formalized in a court document presented on Friday (13).
In addition to the payment, a former McKinsey partner, Martin Elling, also agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice, as revealed in court documents in Virginia. The indictment alleges that McKinsey “intentionally conspired” with Purdue and other parties to assist in the “misidentification” of prescription drugs and destroyed and concealed documents that could have contributed to the investigation.
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This is not McKinsey’s first involvement in legal issues related to opioids. The consultancy had already agreed to pay almost US$1 billion (R$6 billion) to settle lawsuits filed by states and local governments due to its role in the crisis. The current agreement with the US Department of Justice includes admission of responsibility for the acts alleged by prosecutors.
As part of the agreement, McKinsey committed not to participate in any activities related to the marketing, sale, promotion or distribution of controlled substances.
In a statement, the company expressed its deep regret for the work provided to Purdue Pharma and the actions of a former partner who deleted documents related to his work. McKinsey admitted that it should have recognized the negative impact that opioids were having on society.
