McKinsey faces US criminal probe over opioids work, sources say

Source: Reuters

April 24, 2024 5:52 PM EDT Updated 11 hours ago


NEW YORK, April 24 (Reuters) - McKinsey & Co is under criminal investigation in the United States over allegations that the consulting firm played a key role in fueling the opioid epidemic, with federal prosecutors homing in on its work advising OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and other drugmakers, three people familiar with the matter said.

The consulting firm and the U.S. Justice Department declined to comment.

The probe is focused on whether McKinsey engaged in a criminal conspiracy when advising Purdue and other pharmaceutical manufacturers on marketing strategies to boost sales of prescription painkillers that led to widespread addiction and fatal overdoses, two of the people said.

The Justice Department is also investigating whether McKinsey conspired to commit healthcare fraud when its consulting work for companies selling opioids allegedly resulted in fraudulent claims being made to government programs such as Medicare, they said. Prosecutors are also looking at whether McKinsey obstructed justice, an inquiry related to McKinsey's disclosure that it had fired two partners who communicated about deleting documents related to their opioids work, the people said.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/mckinsey-faces-us-criminal-probe-over-opioids-work-sources-say-2024-04-24/