A judge could advance Purdue Pharma's $7B opioid settlement after all 50 states back it
Share and Follow


All 50 U.S. states have agreed to the OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma ’s latest plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids.

A judge on Wednesday is being asked to clear the way for local governments and individual victims to vote on it.

Government entities, emergency room doctors, insurers, families of children born into withdrawal from the powerful prescription painkiller, individual victims and their families and others would have until Sept. 30 to vote on whether to accept the deal, which calls for members of the Sackler family who own the company to pay up to $7 billion over 15 years.

If approved, the settlement would be among the largest in a wave of lawsuits over the past decade as governments and others sought to hold drugmakers, wholesalers and pharmacies accountable for the opioid epidemic that started rising in the years after OxyContin hit the market in 1996. The other settlements together are worth about $50 billion, and most of the money is to be used to combat the crisis.

In the early 2000s, most opioid deaths were linked to prescription drugs, including OxyContin. Since then, heroin and then illicitly produced fentanyl became the biggest killers. In some years, the class of drugs was linked to more than 80,000 deaths, but that number dropped sharply last year.

The request of U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Sean Lane comes about a year after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a previous version of Purdue’s proposed settlement. The court found it was improper that the earlier iteration would have protected members of the Sackler family from lawsuits over opioids, even though they themselves were not filing for bankruptcy protection.

Under the reworked plan hammered out with lawyers for state and local governments and others, groups that don’t opt in to the settlement would still have the right to sue members of the wealthy family whose name once adorned museum galleries around the world and programs at several prestigious U.S. universities.

Under the plan, the Sackler family members would give up ownership of Purdue. They resigned from the company’s board and stopped receiving distributions from its funds before the company’s initial bankruptcy filing in 2019. The remaining entity would get a new name and its profits would be dedicated to battling the epidemic.

Most of the money would go to state and local governments to address the nation’s addiction and overdose crisis, but potentially more than $850 million would go directly to individual victims. That makes it different from the other major settlements.

The payouts would not begin until after a hearing scheduled for Nov. 10, during which Lane is to be asked to approve the entire plan if enough of the affected parties agree.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Mandarin father of four identified as victim found shot and killed inside garage; suspect arrested

Mandarin Father of Four Tragically Found Deceased in Garage; Suspect in Custody

Family and friends are deeply mourning the loss of Stephen Shahly, a…
Escaped monkeys from Mississippi truck crash puts spotlight on NIH-funded Tulane lab

Tragic Twist: Two Monkeys Down, One Still Missing After Shocking Truck Crash

A week after a truck accident in Mississippi, officials have reported that…
Demi Moore leads stars at Glamour Women of the Year Awards

Demi Moore Shines as Leading Star at Glamour Women of the Year Awards 2023

Demi Moore and Rachel Zegler were among the illustrious attendees gracing this…
Cyclists survives 130-foot fall

Miraculous Survival: 77-Year-Old Cyclist Rescued After 130-Foot Ravine Plunge, Sustained by Red Wine

A 77-year-old cyclist is on the mend after a dramatic 130-foot fall…
Duval County Schools' HQ heads to Prominence Parkway after 4-3 vote

Duval County Schools Relocates Headquarters to Prominence Parkway Following Narrow 4-3 Board Decision

The Duval County Public Schools board has decided to part ways with…
Jennifer Aniston’s pals and exes gush over her happy ending with Jim Curtis  (Video)

Jennifer Aniston’s Close Friends and Former Partners Celebrate Her Joyful Union with Jim Curtis (Video)

Jennifer Aniston’s close circle of friends and former partners are celebrating her…
Are Jennifer Aniston and Jim Curtis soulmates or a disaster couple?

Jennifer Aniston & Jim Curtis: Are They Hollywood’s Next Power Couple or Headed for Heartbreak?

Jennifer Aniston appears to have found her celestial counterpart. The Friends actress,…
Victoria and David Beckham let their hair down in style

Victoria and David Beckham Enjoy a Glamorous Night Out: A Peek into Their Stylish Evening

On Tuesday night, Sir David Beckham marked his knighthood with a lavish…