Authorities say from September to October 2023, Perry purchased 20 vials of ketamine for $55,000 (£42,800).

Authorities say Dr Plasencia, one of those charged in Perry's death, wrote in a text message: "I wonder how much this moron will pay".

Investigators are saying Plasencia wrote in text messages that he wanted to be Perry's "go-to for drugs".

Authorities are explaining that as a doctor, Plasencia knew the dangers of the drugs and even witnessed Perry "freeze up" and saw his blood pressure spike while administering the drugs during one occasion.

But authorities say the doctor still left behind vials of the drug for his assistant to administer.

Image source, Reuters

Martin Estrada, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California, says law enforcement found what amounted to a "drug selling emporium".

Among the things found during the search were 80 vials of ketamine as well as cocaine and pills.

The defendants used coded language to refer to the drugs, such as "Doctor Pepper" and "cans".

Authorities say there can be severe health impacts when using ketamine and patients should be monitored closely - which they say Perry was not.

Authorities also say ketamine is supposed to be administered only by a physican. The Department of Justice is saying ketamine can cause high blood pressure and respiratory issues, which can be fatal.

We're now hearing how two doctors, Mark Chavez and Salvador Plasencia, worked with others to distribute ketamine to Perry over a period of two months from September to October 2023.

They distributed approximately 20 vials of ketamine to the actor in exchange for $55,000 (£42,800) in cash.

Authorities say the investigation uncovered a "broad criminal network" of ketamine suppliers that gave the drug to Perry and others.

They say the network "took advantage" of Perry's addiction issues.

Federal authorities say five defendants have been charged in connection with Matthew Perry's death.

The actor was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home in October last year.

The indictment issued by the Department of Justice lists Jasveen Sangha, who it says is also known as the “Ketamine Queen", and Dr Salvador Plasencia, as among those charged in the death of Perry.

Perry’s assistant Kenneth Iwamasa and another individual, Erik Flemming, are also mentioned in the indictment as co-conspirators.

The news conference with US federal authorities who investigated actor Matthew Perry's death has just begun.

You can watch live at the top of this page

Helen Bushby
Culture reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Fans of TV show Friends will be very familiar with Chandler Bing's zingy one-liners and ability to cut through any situation with sarcasm - of its six main characters, he was arguably the funniest.

The late Matthew Perry's character could be summed up by him saying: "Hi, I'm Chandler, I make jokes when I'm uncomfortable" and "I'm not great at advice, can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?"

Chandler was quick, dry and witty, although Perry struggled behind the scenes with his well-documented addictions, both still loved to get big laughs.

Friends' script writers provided Perry with ample opportunity, which he was brilliant at delivering.

In his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry wrote about the huge crossover between himself and Chandler's characters.

When he was sent the script he felt the role was made for him.

"It was as if someone had followed me around for a year, stealing my jokes, copying my mannerisms, photocopying my world-weary yet witty view of life…" he wrote.

• You can read more here

The cause of Matthew Perry's death was ruled as "the acute effects of ketamine".

Ketamine - a powerful anaesthetic - is a controlled substance used as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain, and is also commonly used on animals. Because of its hallucinogenic effects, it is also thought of as a "party drug".

People close to Perry told a coroner's investigation after his death that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy.

Just how the actor - who had reportedly not had a supervised infusion session for several days - obtained the drug became the subject of the legal investigation.

Drowning was also listed as a contributing factor in his death, which was ruled an accident. Other contributing factors were coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder.

At the height of his fame, Perry was battling with addiction to painkillers and alcohol, and attended rehabilitation clinics on multiple occasions.

Image source, NBCUniversal / Getty Images

After Matthew Perry's death last year, his co-stars paid tribute to the actor as their real-life friend.

In a joint statement released shortly after his death, Jennifer Anniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc said, "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family."

They sent their condolences to his other friends and family and said they would need more time before commenting further.

In the months that followed, all five also released personal reactions to their loss.

At the height of his fame, Perry was battling with addiction to painkillers and alcohol, and attended rehabilitation clinics on multiple occasions.

In 2016, he told BBC Radio 2 that he could not remember three years of filming during Friends, because of drink and drugs.

After attempts at treatment, he wrote in his memoir that he had been mostly sober since 2001 - "save for about 60 or 70 mishaps".

Perry was candid about his road to sobriety and grew into an outspoken advocate for substance use treatment.

In the wake of his death, his mother and stepfather started the Matthew Perry Foundation to help those struggling with addiction.

Image source, Getty Images

Matthew Perry was best known for playing wisecracking Chandler Bing in the hit '90s TV sitcom Friends.

The show followed the fortunes of six young friends living in New York City, and aired from 1994 until 2004.

Its final episode was watched by 52.5 million in the US, making it the most watched TV episode of the 2000s.

The comedy, co-starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow, became one of the most successful shows of all time.

Perry was cast as the awkward Chandler Bing, famous for his sarcastic one-liners and his childish behaviour with room-mate Joey Tribbiani. The role earned him an Emmy nomination in 2002.

Image source, Reuters

Multiple arrests have been made over the death of Friends star Matthew Perry, according to the BBC's US partner CBS.

Perry, 54, was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home in October last year. A post-mortem examination found the cause of his death was "the acute effects of ketamine", a controlled drug which the recovering addict was taking as part of supervised therapy.

LA police opened an investigation in May to determine why Perry had so much of the drug in his system.

Along with CBS, ABC News and TMZ - which first reported the news - reported that multiple people had been arrested and were facing federal charges. Other outlets, including NBC News, said at least one arrest had been made.

Police are expected to offer more information soon.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest updates.