New York, Massachusetts and 13 other states signed on to a settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP and its Sackler family owners, improving the chances of court approval for their multibillion-dollar plan to resolve lawsuits over the opioid epidemic.
The proposed deal, laid out in court papers filed Wednesday, covers state attorneys general that had resisted previous offers from Purdue and the Sacklers. A majority of states are now on board with the settlement, which requires approval from the judge presiding over Purdue’s bankruptcy case.
States that haven’t signed on include California, Connecticut and Delaware.
The Sackler family members who own Purdue will now contribute an additional $50 million, on top of the roughly $4.28 billion settlement they previously agreed to. Also, at least $175 million in family foundations will be contributed to fight opioid addiction, court papers said, bringing the total settlement from the Sacklers to roughly $4.5 billion.
It is among the largest payments that individuals have made to resolve a law enforcement action in U.S. history.
