HBO’s Crime of the Century Trailer Investigates Big Pharma Crisis

HBO released the trailer for the “Crime of the century” on Tuesday, a two-part documentary examining the role Big Pharma played in the inception of and fueling the opioid crisis. With a YouTube trailer, the description reads, “Big Pharma sold America a lie and made a killing,” the film explores the billions of dollars the pharmaceutical industry gained, as well as thousands of people who lost their lives during the opioid epidemic.

In the documentary, Big Pharma is charged with utilizing a substantial supply of money and potential political influence to skirt and manipulate the government regulations. It is believed that the manipulative tactics worked in the favor of the pharmaceutical industry as it enabled the overproduction and unethical over-distribution of synthetic opioids. What it resulted in has been observed as the devastating opioid epidemic. The absurd abuse of opioids has seen the extravagant exposure of lives and money in concentrated hands.

Written and directed by famed director Alex Gibney, whose previous works include The Inventor and Going Clear. The documentary is to include previously unseen footage of Purdue Pharma’s president Richard Sackler’s 2015 deposition in the case. Last year, Purdue Pharma reached a more than $8 billion settlement with the Department of Justice, acknowledging the company had knowingly and intentionally conspired and agreed with others to aid and abet. The doctors were ascertained to prescribe and distribute the opioid without a legitimate medical purpose.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nearly 50,000 people died from opioid-involved overdoses in the United States in 2019. Part one of the “Crime of the Century” premiers on May 10 and the next will premiere the following day. It would be fascinating to perceive the role Big Pharma played in exposing opioids to the customers which resulted in a loss of money and lives.