David and Kathe Sackler, two members of the wealthy Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP, offered apologies for the role the prescription painkiller has played in the deadly opioid epidemic in the US. They, however, sought to deflect personal responsibility in response to withering criticism from legislators.

Legislators from the US House Committee on Oversight and Reform pressed the Sacklers on more than $10bn that Purdue transferred over 10 years, much of which went to the family members.