UConn declines to return Sackler family donations amid furor over opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma

The University of Connecticut, which has received about $4.5 million in philanthropic contributions from the Sackler family, will not return any of the donations, despite growing controversy over gifts connected to opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma.

"None of the funds that were established by Raymond and Beverly Sackler and none of the activities they support at UConn are connected to research, teaching, or programs related to opioids, pain management, the marketing of prescription opioids, or influencing what physicians prescribe,'' said Stephanie Reitz, a spokesperson for UConn.

Universities, museums, hospitals and politicians are under growing pressure to return contributions from the wealthy Sacklers, who own Purdue Pharma, the Stamford-base drugmaker that has reaped billions of dollars from the sale of OxyContin, a powerful opioid.

“Anyone who reaped financial rewards while misleading doctors and patients about the highly addictive nature of prescription opioids should consider devoting their financial resources to addressing the nationwide epidemic these drugs helped to cause,'' said Reitz. She called the latest accusations about the marketing and sale of OxyContin “deeply disturbing.”

Read more: https://www.courant.com/politics/hc-pol-connecticut-democrats-sackler-money-20190128-jxy5omyrkbdh3a4s3pirulwdsm-story.html