A federal judge on Wednesday approved a bankruptcy settlement giving members of the Sackler family immunity from any future lawsuits involving the opioid crisis. The family, which owns Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, were granted “global peace” by Federal Judge Robert Drain, who approved a bankruptcy settlement that will require the family to forfeit the company while paying roughly $4.3 billion of their fortune to address the deadly destruction caused by opioids. “This is a bitter result,” Drain said, adding that he would have “expected a higher settlement” to arise from mediation sessions behind closed doors that have spanned two years.
The deal releases the Sacklers, hundreds of their associates, and their companies from liability for harm caused by OxyContin and other opioids. In issuing his decision on Wednesday, Drain said Purdue Pharma had contributed to a “massive public health crisis.”
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