Opioid Rx The lawsuits against drugmakers and distributors have opened up the potential for billions of dollars in liabilities as governments grapple with mounting human and financial costs of the opioid epidemic. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Oxycontin-maker Purdue Pharma LP is preparing for a possible bankruptcy filing as it faces hundreds of lawsuits over its role in the U.S. opioid epidemic, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The drugmaker has hired advisers to prepare for a potential filing, the Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter. Bankruptcy would let the company negotiate claims with some of the more than 1,500 cities, states, local governments and other entities that have sued Purdue and other health companies over their roles in the opioid epidemic.

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