Advocates Call on Judge to Stable the Balance of Justice - Hold Purdue Accountable

NEWARK, NJ (04/20/2026) (readMedia)-- Truth Pharm, the Villomah Foundation and a coalition of survivors and advocacy groups are gathering on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 12pm - 3pm outside the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey at 50 Walnut Street, Newark, NJ to call for justice for the victims and survivors of Purdue Pharma.

Purdue pleaded guilty to three felonies in 2020 including Defrauding the United States, Violating the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute. These felonies followed their guilty plea to the felonious misbranding of OxyContin in 2007 handled with a fine and a slap on the wrist proving that fines do not deter these corporate bad actors from continuing to profit off the pain and death of Americans.

Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family are paying pennies on the dollar for lying to the American people for the sake of profit leading to the 30 year overdose epidemic that continues to rage today.

The court proceedings will require Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to determine if the plea agreement arranged in 2020 is reasonable and not contrary to public interest.

It is well established that the Sacklers, owners of Purdue Pharma, are the architects of the worst public health crisis in the history of the United States killing more than a million people by overdose alone. The Sacklers bankrupted their own company by transferring billions into offshore accounts, leaving Purdue an empty carcass and the Sacklers as one of America's richest families.

Advocates note that the families and actual victims of Purdue's violent actions have been blocked from justice, restitution and their Constitutional rights to seek redress from harms done to them through the bankruptcy proceedings.

"Judge Cox simply cannot say this deal is in the public's interest knowing the devastation they have caused and knowing they are walking away better off than they were before profiting from killing hundreds of thousands of our children in the name of profit," stated Alexis Pleus, Founder and Executive Director of Truth Pharm and Creator of the Trail of Truth a National memorial for substance use related deaths.

"If this plea is accepted, the lesson to every powerful corporation and executive in America will be clear: cause catastrophic harm, negotiate long enough, move enough money through enough channels, and you are free to continue to operate without consequences and supply medications to Americans." stated Susan Ousterman, Founder and Executive Director of the Vilomah Foundation.

Visuals:

• Trail of Truth Cemetery showing lives lost due to Purdue's actions
• Bereaved families and survivors demonstrating
• An artivism installation