Purdue Pharma reached a nationwide settlement Thursday over its involvement in the opioid crisis, which includes members of the Sackler family, owners of the company, increasing their cash contribution to about $6 billion under the pact. whose objective is to stop the avalanche of lawsuits facing the manufacturer of OxyContin.
The settlement followed a previous settlement that had been appealed by eight states and the District of Columbia. They agreed to sign after the Sacklers increased the cash amount and agreed to other terms. In exchange, the family would be protected from further civil lawsuits.
In total, the plan could fetch more than $10 billion over time. He is demanding that members of the Sackler family relinquish control of the Stamford, Connecticut-based company so that it can become a new entity whose profits are used to combat the crisis. The agreement would not protect family members from criminal charges, although there is no indication that any are about to be filed.
Members of the Sackler family have not offered an outright apology, but they did issue a statement lamenting the harm done by OxyContin, their main painkiller, which users learned could be manipulated for quick stimulant effects. Purdue Pharma had promoted its use for a wide range of pain not previously commonly treated with opioids.
“While the families have acted in accordance with the law in every way, they sincerely regret that OxyContin, a prescription drug that continues to help people with chronic pain, has suddenly become part of an opioid crisis. that has caused loss and pain to too many families and communities,” said the statement released by the Sackler family.
Under the agreement, the victims will also have a forum in court, in a video conference scheduled for March 9, where they can address some members of the Sackler family. That is something that they had not been able to do previously in a public way.
The deal is described in a report filed with Federal Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, New York, and still requires a judge’s approval. It was drafted in conjunction with the Attorney Generals of the eight states — California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington — and the District of Columbia, who had opposed the previous agreement on the grounds that it did not attribute enough responsibility to the members of the Sackler family.
Several parents of children who became addicted to opioids said they have mixed feelings: They’re glad more money will be available for addiction treatment, but upset that the Sacklers are still rich and don’t have additional accountability.
Paige Niver of Connecticut, whose daughter became addicted after a bicycle accident when she was 14 and is still in recovery some 13 years later, said she didn’t want other families to have to endure what hers did.
“As a mother, I did what the doctor told me to do and just kept giving them. And when they started to have less of an effect, they said, ‘Oh, so you need to give it more.’ And that’s exactly what I did,” she said at a news conference Thursday with the state attorney general.
“I never thought I would see justice done for it, so the money will do a lot of good, it will fund all possible treatment and preventative measures,” Niver said.