U.S. House Releases Report Finding McKinsey & Co. Consulting Firm Helped Fuel Overdose Crisis In Dealings With FDA; End Substance Use Disorder Responds

Today, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform released a report uncovering significant conflicts of interest at consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, in its work for the FDA during the opioid epidemic. McKinsey was working for the FDA, which oversaw the regulation of opioids, and was also making millions of dollars consulting for Purdue Pharma and other opioid companies to increase sales of Oxycontin. End Substance Use Disorder released the following statement:

“Greedy corporations like McKinsey & Co. made millions by flooding our communities with opioids, encouraging the government to ignore the cries of help from millions across the country, and lying about their role in fueling the overdose crisis,“ said Erin Schanning, president of End Substance Use Disorder. “We applaud the U.S. House for investigating these criminal actions that have contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of our family members. We call for Congress to pass legislation to ensure that heartless actors like McKinsey & Co. cannot profit on the death and suffering of our families.”

McKinsey settled claims last year with 49 state Attorneys General that it fueled the opioid overdose crisis by advising Purdue Pharma on how to boost sales of Oxycontin. McKinsey was also advising opioid manufacturers and distributors such as Johnson & Johnson, Mallinckrodt, Endo International, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Cardinal Health, including counseling companies on how to avoid FDA oversight.

At the same time of these engagements, the FDA had hired McKinsey to advise its division on the approval of prescription opioids, awarding the consulting firm more than $140 million in contracts. At least 22 McKinsey employees worked on projects for both the FDA and opioid companies at the same time. McKinsey lied to the FDA about these significant conflicts of interest.

End Substance Use Disorder had previously applauded lawmakers for investigating McKinsey’s role in flooding communities with opioids that led millions to develop dependencies and many to die from overdoses.