Purdue/Sackler $7.4B nationwide opioid settlement goes into effect

Purdue/Sackler $7.4B nationwide opioid settlement goes into effect

May 1, 2026 (DENVER) - Attorney General Phil Weiser today announced that a $7.4 billion settlement reached with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, has become legally effective, capping nearly a decade of work by attorneys general from across the country in pursuing investigations and litigation over Purdue's and the Sacklers' role in fueling the opioid crisis. The attorneys general launched a multistate investigation of Purdue in 2016, and Colorado sued Purdue and the Sacklers in July 2019.

After Purdue filed bankruptcy in September 2019 in light of massive litigation against the company, the attorneys general took a lead role in the bankruptcy proceedings, including negotiating a new settlement that obtained more money from the Sacklers after the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2024 invalidated provisions in a prior settlement. The settlement gives funds to communities across the country, as well as individual victims and other groups who filed claims in the bankruptcy proceedings.

"One of my first actions as attorney general was to sue the Sackler family for how their actions fueled the opioid crisis in our state and nation. The Sacklers' conduct was illegal and immoral. This settlement ends their involvement with Purdue Pharma and delivers funds for addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery to communities across the country over the next 15 years. This action provides accountability for Purdue's wrongdoing," said Attorney General Weiser.

Fifty-five attorneys general representing all eligible U.S. states and territories previously signed onto the settlement. It resolves litigation against Purdue and the Sacklers for producing and aggressively marketing opioids in the U.S., fueling the largest drug crisis in the country's history.

Colorado is expected to receive $75.6 million from the settlement. With this settlement, Attorney General Weiser has now secured more than $912 million in opioid settlement funds for Colorado.

The settlement also means that Purdue's manufacturing operations transfer effective today to Knoa Pharma LLC, which will be overseen by a board of directors that had no connection to Purdue. The settlement prevents Knoa from marketing opioids and provides for an independent monitor to ensure it provides these medicines in the safest possible manner that limits the risk of diversion.

The settlement also provides that Purdue and the Sacklers will make public more than 30 million documents related to their opioid business.

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Lawrence Pacheco
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