End Substance Use Disorder Responds to Approval of Purdue Pharma Settlement

Today, a U.S. bankruptcy court approved a settlement agreement for Purdue Pharma’s role in fueling the opioid crisis as the maker of Oxycontin. The settlement agreement covers thousands of lawsuits brought by state and local governments, tribal nations, hospitals and individuals who have been impacted by the opioid epidemic. End Substance Use Disorder released the following statement:

“The bankruptcy court’s approval of the Purdue Pharma settlement agreement is a miscarriage of justice for the families and communities who are victims of their corporate greed,” said Erin Schanning, president of End Substance Use Disorder. “While over half a million families are mourning the loss of a loved one to opioid overdoses and millions more struggle with the condition, the Sacklers are walking away with unprecedented legal immunity and billions of dollars made on our suffering. We urge the U.S. Department of Justice and state attorneys general to appeal this ruling immediately. These heartless corporate actors must be held accountable for their wrongdoing.”

Under the settlement agreement, Purdue Pharma will be dissolved and will pay $4.5 billion over nine years. The Sackler family, which owns the company, will pay an additional $50 million. The company will also release documents relating to its role in fueling sales of Oxycontin, which it knew to be highly addictive, to vulnerable communities. In exchange, Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family will not admit to any wrongdoing and the Sacklers will be released from liability for opioid-related lawsuits. The Sacklers are one of the richest families in the world, with a total net worth estimated at $11 billion made almost exclusively from Oxycontin.

End Substance Use Disorder had previously objected to the proposed settlement agreement when it was announced on July 8, 2021. End Substance Use Disorder has also responded to the $26 billion settlement proposal with U.S. drug makers and distributors, Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.

End Substance Use Disorder has joined with leading organizations to endorse a set of guiding principles for how states, cities, and counties should use funds received from the opioid litigation. More than 23 million Americans are currently suffering from substance use disorder, and it is vital that the funds from this settlement, if ultimately approved, go towards for prevention, treatment, and recovery supports that are firmly rooted in evidence.