Justice Departments in Virginia, Massachusetts, and Washington DC Investigating McKinsey’s Role in Opioid Sales Advising for Pharmaceutical Companies

Investigators from both Virginia and Massachusetts branches of the US Justice Department are currently probing McKinsey & Company, one of the biggest global consultancy firms in the world, concerning their part in advising pharmaceutical companies regarding how they could increase sales for opioids. The criminal investigation has received input and guidance by department heads in Washington DC as well. At issue here is exactly what information was given to drug manufacturers like Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, and Endo from McKinsey on marketing strategies surrounding these highly addictive prescription medications that led them to distribute more widely across the country. CNN has attempted contact with McKinsey for comment but received no response as of yet; it’s essential to clarify exactly how they facilitated such extensive dissemination given concerns over opioid addiction crises in recent years, which have claimed thousands upon thousands of lives throughout America according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Wall Street Journal first reported on this criminal investigation. McKinsey has previously settled hundreds of millions of dollars nationally as a result of accusations surrounding their role in contributing towards these opioid-related crises, although they’ve continued providing assistance to individuals dealing with the situation more broadly by “support[ing] key stakeholders working to combat [the crisis]”, while simultaneously stopping any involvement that could be considered specific to opioids. The Justice Department itself declined comment on this ongoing investigation at present time.