Judge to Approve $7bn Settlement with OxyContin Maker

A federal judge has approved a $7 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, requiring members of the Sackler family to contribute funds and relinquish ownership. The agreement resolves thousands of lawsuits over the company’s role in the U.S. opioid epidemic, which has contributed to nearly 900,000 deaths since 1999.

Purdue will convert into a non-profit, Knoa Pharma, focusing on opioid addiction treatment and overdose reversal. The settlement, part of broader state and local efforts totaling about $50 billion, aims to provide compensation for victims and represents a significant step in addressing public health harms from prescription opioid misuse. Read more from The Guardian here.