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Judge Approves Revised Purdue–Sackler Opioid Settlement Requiring Up to $7 Billion

The decision clears a plan preserving the right of nonparticipants to sue the Sacklers.

FILE - Jayde Newton helps to set up cardboard gravestones with the names of victims of opioid abuse outside the courthouse where the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy is taking place in White Plains, N.Y., on Aug. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
FILE - "Pill Man" made by Frank Huntley of Worcester, Mass., from his opioid prescription pill bottles, is displayed during a protest by advocates for opioid victims outside the Department of Justice, Dec. 3, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
FILE - Fake pill bottles with messages about OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma are displayed during a protest outside the courthouse where the bankruptcy of the company is taking place in White Plains, N.Y., on Aug. 9, 2021. (AP foto/Seth Wenig, File)
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Overview

  • U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane on Nov. 18 approved Purdue Pharma’s restructuring plan and called the settlements fair and equitable after years of investigations and negotiations.
  • The ruling orders Sackler family members to contribute up to $7 billion over 15 years, with most funds flowing to governments for opioid abatement and about $850 million reserved for individual victims, including children with neonatal withdrawal.
  • Individual payouts are slated to begin next year, and qualifying claimants must show proof of an OxyContin prescription, with typical payments around $8,000 or about $16,000 depending on usage and the number of approved claims.
  • The plan ends Sackler ownership and converts Purdue into Knoa Pharma, a public‑benefit company overseen by a board appointed by states, while restricting future Sackler naming rights.
  • Purdue will release a trove of internal documents, and the deal follows a prior settlement rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court for improperly shielding the Sacklers from lawsuits.