An agreement reached by the state of New York and Purdue Pharma will make the manufacturer’s internal program, which looks to prevent the promotion of painkillers to certain health care providers, permanent, said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderma | Shutterstock
An agreement reached by the state of New York and Purdue Pharma will make the manufacturer’s internal program, which looks to prevent the promotion of painkillers to certain health care providers, permanent, said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderma | Shutterstock
Nearly half of the states in the country have refused to sign off on a settlement agreement put forth by Purdue Pharma LP stemming from the more-than-2,600 opioid-related claims from state and local governments against the company.
Part of the company’s request when it filed for bankruptcy protection included attorneys for the Sackler family, owners of Purdue, seeking to halt all litigation against them going forward.
According to The Center Square, the proposed settlement addresses the opioid-related claims from state and local governments tied to the more than $35 billion Purdue Pharma is reported to have earned solely from the sale of OxyContin.
Through it all, attorneys for Purdue Pharma have argued their clients should not face ongoing litigation because it “would irreparably deplete the Sackler family’s assets.” On a recent Forbes list, the family ranked as the 19th wealthiest, with an estimated 20 family members being worth as much as $13 billion.
In North Carolina, more than 13,000 residents have died due to opioid-related overdoses over an 18-year period beginning in 1999, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
Over that same time, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 400,000 people across the country have died from opioid abuse.
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