Wasden announces resolution with Purdue Pharma, Sacklers over opioid proliferation
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) - Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced a resolution of Idaho’s multistate lawsuit against the Sackler family and their company, Purdue Pharma, that will make public tens of millions of documents related to their role in the opioid crisis, and require payments of more than $4.3 billion for prevention, treatment and recovery efforts in communities across the country.
The resolution of the lawsuit was filed in bankruptcy court on Wednesday night and is subject to court approval. The resolution requires unprecedented disclosure about the role Purdue and the Sacklers played in the opioid crisis. It requires them to make public more than 30 million documents, including attorney-client privileged communications about the original FDA approval of OxyContin and tactics to promote opioids. It also requires the Sacklers to make one of the largest payments that individuals have paid to resolve a law enforcement action in U.S. history.
“Creating a robust document depository, opening up to the public the marketing and sales efforts that led to the opioid crisis, will aid public health going forward,” Wasden said. “Public health experts and officials will learn from and be better able to prevent a future calamity such as the opioid epidemic for which Purdue and the Sacklers bear significant responsibility.”
Under the terms of the resolution, Purdue will turn over for public disclosure the evidence from lawsuits and investigations of Purdue over the past 20 years, including deposition transcripts, deposition videos, and 13 million documents. Purdue will also be required to turn over more than 20 million additional documents, including every non-privileged email at Purdue that was sent or received by every member of the Sackler family who sat on the board or worked at the company. Lastly, Purdue will waive its attorney-client privilege to reveal confidential communications with its lawyers about tactics for pushing opioids, FDA approval of OxyContin, “pill mill” doctors and pharmacies diverting drugs, and about the billions of dollars Purdue paid out to the Sacklers.
The Sacklers will pay $4.325 billion over the next nine years, with Idaho expected to receive an estimated $21.6 million for abatement of the opioid epidemic. Thousands of individual victims of Purdue’s misconduct will also receive compensation as part of the bankruptcy process.
Under the terms of the plan, the Sacklers will be permanently banned from the opioid business and Purdue will be sold or wound down by the end of 2024.
The resolution also requires the Sacklers to relinquish control of family foundations holding $175 million in assets to the trustees of a foundation dedicated to abating the opioid crisis. Further, the Sackler family will be prohibited from requesting or permitting any new naming rights in connection with charitable or similar donations or organizations for the next nine years.
