Billionaire Sackler Family To Get Immunity In $6 Billion Opioid Settlement

The billionaire family that owns Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, will receive immunity from all current and future civil claims over the company’s role in the opioid crisis as part of a deal approved by a federal appeals court on Tuesday.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit cleared the way for a settlement that would see the Sackler family pay up to $6 billion from its massive fortune derived from the painkiller business. Purdue Pharma has faced years of criticism that it helped fuel the opioid crisis in America, aggressively marketing OxyContin while misleading the public about the highly addictive pills.

The company filed for bankruptcy in 2019 amid a crush of lawsuits, but the massive settlement had been held up after a judge said in 2021 that the Sacklers, who didn’t file for bankruptcy themselves, couldn’t be protected from liability. States, local governments and those affected by the spread of opioids had grown frustrated after waiting years to see money disbursed to communities to help treat addiction and fund prevention programs while the crisis has only grown, now fueled by a surge in fentanyl use.