Inside STAT: How gifts to a top medical school advanced the interests of Purdue Pharma

The Pain Research, Education, and Policy program at Tufts University School of Medicine carries a special kind of legacy. Alumni of the master’s program include medical professionals, and its faculty have also left their mark, including by advising policymakers. But also of note is the fact that the Sacklers — the billionaire dynasty who own the OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma — are among the program’s donors. A Massachusetts lawsuit has raised questions about the Purdue-Tufts relationship, and a STAT review of documents suggests that family and company money that went to Tufts helped to advance their interests. One high-ranking Purdue executive even lectured in the pain program. Get the full story from STAT’s Andrew Joseph here.