South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that all 55 attorneys general from eligible states and U.S. territories have agreed to a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family. The agreement aims to resolve litigation against Purdue and the Sacklers for their role in exacerbating the opioid crisis across the United States.
“This settlement doesn’t lessen the pain of the families who’ve lost loved ones to opioid addiction or overdoses, but it’s a huge step toward holding this company and its founders accountable for the havoc they helped create,” said Attorney General Wilson. “It will also fund efforts to help those currently affected by opioid addiction and hopefully prevent others from going through this nightmare.”
Under the terms of the settlement, Purdue’s control by the Sacklers will end, along with their ability to sell opioids in the U.S. Over 15 years, communities nationwide will receive funds for addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts. South Carolina is expected to receive approximately $72.8 million over this period.
The initial payments will see the Sacklers contributing $1.5 billion and Purdue roughly $900 million. Subsequent payments include $500 million after one year, another $500 million after two years, and $400 million after three years.
As with previous settlements related to opioids, state and local governments’ legal claims will be resolved through this agreement. The continuation of this process depends on bankruptcy court approval, with a hearing scheduled soon.
With this new settlement included, South Carolina has secured nearly $750 million in commitments from companies implicated in fueling the opioid epidemic.
Attorney General Wilson worked alongside his counterparts from various states and territories including Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee Texas U.S Virgin Islands Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming.
