Ohio, other states set to accept $7.4 billion settlement in opioid lawsuits

Purdue Pharma has won support from the attorneys general of 55 U.S. states and territories, including Ohio, for its $7.4 billion settlement to resolve thousands of opioid lawsuits against the drugmaker and its owners, members of the Sackler family (Source: “Ohio, other states agree to $7.4B opioid settlement with Purdue Pharma,” Columbus Dispatch, June 16).
 
A framework for the settlement had been announced in January by New York Attorney General Letitia James and other states, and the support announced on Monday could help Purdue Pharma win court approval for its bankruptcy reorganization.
 
In Ohio, the state and local governments will receive up to $198 million from the agreement, according to a release from state Attorney General David Yost's office. The $7.4 billion payment is intended to resolve claims that the drugmaker's pain medication OxyContin caused a nationwide opioid addiction crisis.
 
It includes about $6.5 billion from the Sacklers and about $900 million from Purdue Pharma. Payouts would begin after the drugmaker wins sufficient creditor support for its Chapter 11 plan. The money would go to individuals, state and local governments, and Native American tribes, and the Sacklers would cede control of Purdue.