Federal prosecutors are examining the consulting company’s role in helping “turbocharge” the sale of painkillers like OxyContin. Glenn Thrush co

McKinsey Is Under Criminal Investigation for Its Opioid Work

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2024-04-25 03:30:03

Federal prosecutors are examining the consulting company’s role in helping “turbocharge” the sale of painkillers like OxyContin.

Glenn Thrush covers the Justice Department for The Times. Michael Forsythe and Walt Bogdanich, authors of “When McKinsey Comes to Town,” have been reporting on the consulting firm for years.

The Justice Department is investigating McKinsey & Company, the international consulting giant, for its role in helping drug companies maximize their sale of opioids.

The investigation is led by the U.S. attorneys’ offices in Massachusetts and the Western District of Virginia in coordination with the department’s civil division in Washington, according to two officials familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Since 2021, McKinsey has agreed to pay about $1 billion to settle investigations and lawsuits across the United States related to the firm’s work with opioid makers, principally Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin. McKinsey recommended that Purdue “turbocharge” its sales of the drug in the midst of the opioid crisis, which has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. McKinsey has not admitted any wrongdoing.