The Scope Of Non-Debtor Third Party Releases Between The U.S. And Canada: A Distinction With A Difference

Introduction

The chapter 11 proceedings of Purdue Pharma ("Purdue"), the pharmaceutical giant responsible for the manufacturing of the powerful narcotic painkiller OxyContin, have been closely followed by insolvency practitioners around the globe, as well as policy makers and members of the general public. OxyContin, Purdue's flagship product, is one of the drugs responsible for the devastating opioid crisis in the United States. It has taken an extraordinary human toll over the last several years, shattering families and communities. According to the CDC, in the U.S. alone nearly 841,000 people have died since 1999 from a drug overdose. Over 70% of drug overdose deaths in 2019 involved an opioid.¹