Opioid lawsuits: Sackler family and Purdue reach tentative settlement with 27 US states

Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin accused of promoting excessive opioid use by US doctors, sparking the US opioid epidemic, has reached a tentative settlement with lawyers representing 27 states and thousands of counties, municipalities, and native tribes.

Negotiations have been under way for months as the company sought to avoid trial in a consolidated civil case set to begin on 21 October in a federal court in Cleveland, Ohio. The case pits Purdue and six other drug companies against public authorities that are seeking compensation for burdens imposed by the opioid epidemic.

The settlement deal, which could lead to a final payout worth up to $12bn, will see Purdue’s owners, the Sackler family, relinquish control and possession of the company. …