HARRISBURG, PA — Attorney General Dave Sunday, alongside 54 other Attorneys General, announced a landmark $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, resolving litigation over their decades-long role in the opioid epidemic.
The settlement requires Purdue and the Sacklers to acknowledge their contribution to the nationwide addiction crisis, which was fueled by aggressive opioid production and marketing. Additionally, the agreement terminates Sackler ownership of Purdue and prevents the company from selling opioids in the U.S.
Pennsylvania is expected to receive up to $200 million from the settlement over a 15-year period, contingent on municipal approval of the terms. “As Pennsylvania families and communities suffered during an unprecedented addiction crisis, Purdue and the Sacklers reaped the mammoth profits from their products,” said Attorney General Sunday. “This monumental settlement achieves the top priority of getting as much money as quickly as possible to prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the Commonwealth.”
Settlement funds will be directed to local communities nationwide over the next 15 years, with the majority distributed within the first three years. Initial payments will see the Sacklers contribute $1.5 billion and Purdue pay $900 million, with additional payments staggered over the following years.
This agreement marks the largest settlement to date involving individuals held accountable for the opioid epidemic. However, implementation depends on final approval from a bankruptcy court, with a hearing on the matter scheduled in the coming days.
The funds aim to support addiction prevention efforts, expand treatment resources, and aid recovery programs, providing critical relief to communities devastated by the crisis.
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