London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

The UK universities benefitting from opioid money

The UK universities benefitting from opioid money

Two institutions were awarded a combined £3.4m last year from the family behind Purdue Pharma.

The Dr Mortimer and Theresa Sackler Foundation gave £5.2m to mostly UK universities and charities in 2018, according to its latest accounts.

King's College was the top recipient, followed by the University of Sussex which received grants totalling £1.4m.

King's College said the money supported its work in neurodevelopmental studies.

Since awarding the funds, the billionaire Sackler family's firm, Purdue Pharma, has filed for bankruptcy to deal with thousands of lawsuits stemming from its prescription opioid painkiller OxyContin.

The lawsuits allege Purdue aggressively marketed OxyContin, while misleading doctors and patients over addiction and overdose risks.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said that opioids, which also include drugs such as heroin and Fentanyl, are the biggest cause of overdose deaths in the US and in 2017 claimed 47,600 lives.

King's College said the donation from the foundation "represents a continuation of funding to support the work of Professor Declan Murphy".

It said: "His work crucially looks at understanding how a healthy brain develops across the lifespan; transforming understanding of common disorders like ASD, ADHD, epilepsy and Down's syndrome, and addressing the developmental causes of antisocial behaviours that pose a key societal challenge."

The University of Sussex said the grant from the Dr Mortimer and Theresa Sackler Foundation "has supported our centre which informs critical clinical interventions to a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia and dementia".


'Public benefit'

The Wall Street Journal estimates the Sackler family received as much as $13bn (£10bn) in profit from Purdue Pharma, according to court records.

Under the terms of the bankruptcy deal, Purdue will be dissolved and the money raised will go towards settling the lawsuits.

At the time it was announced, Sackler family members said: "It is our hope the bankruptcy reorganisation process that is now under way will end our ownership of Purdue and ensure its assets are dedicated for the public benefit."

The Sacklers are prolific philanthropists who have given millions of dollars to the arts, education, medicine and charities mainly in the US and the UK.

Earlier this year, however, a number of high profile art galleries announced that they would no longer accept money from the family.

They include National Portrait Gallery and the Tate in London as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

The Roundhouse, the music and arts venue in London, had been awarded £1m in 2018 from the Sackler Trust.

But a spokesperson told the BBC that the Roundhouse had made a decision "not to accept the donation at this time".

"To do so risks distracting from our work with young people, and that's our priority."

In March, the Sackler Trust and the Mortimer and Theresa Sackler Foundation announced it would temporarily suspend new UK donations.

At the time, Dame Theresa Sackler, chair of the Sackler Trust, said: "I am deeply saddened by the addiction crisis in America and support the actions Purdue Pharma is taking to help tackle the situation, whilst still rejecting the false allegations made against the company and several members of the Sackler family.

"The current press attention that these legal cases in the United States is generating has created immense pressure on the scientific, medical, educational and arts institutions here in the UK, large and small, that I am so proud to support. This attention is distracting them from the important work that they do."

The University of Sussex said: "This year, and in light of the legal situation in the US, the University and Sackler Trust decided not to progress with further pledges."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×