"Families throughout New York and across the nation are suffering from the immense pain and loss wrought by the opioid crisis," said New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office helped negotiate the settlement agreement. ????? ???????  

Under the settlement terms, the Sacklers' control of Purdue Pharma ends. The $7.4 billion will go directly to communities across the U.S. -- including states, counties, cities and territories -- over the next 15 years to support opioid addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery programs. ????????????  

The pharmaceutical company introduced OxyContin, a brand name of oxycodone, in the 1990s and filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019 after the company was sued thousands of times. ?????  

Purdue, under the leadership of the Sackler families, invented, manufactured and aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, according to the lawsuits. States and cities across the country said it fueled waves of addiction and overdose deaths. ????? ???????

The Sacklers and Purdue Pharma boosted their settlement contribution to $7.4 billion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a prior settlement in June 2024. If approved, the new plan would end the costliest corporate bankruptcy resulting from the U.S. opioid crisis. ????????????