WASHINGTON (AP) – OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and virtually all U.S. states have agreed to a new settlement of opioid lawsuits.
The deal reached Thursday would require members of the Sackler family who own the drugmaker to pay $5.5 billion to $6 billion in cash. That’s at least $1.2 billion more than previously agreed on. They also apologized.
In exchange, they’ll be protected from lawsuits.
A bankruptcy judge must still approve the deal.
The company, family, most states and other groups had reached a deal last year. But some states opposed it because they say it didn’t do enough to hold the Sacklers accountable. A judge rejected it on appeal.
By Geoff Mulvihill and John Seewer, Associated Press
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