55 attorneys general sign on to $7.4 billion Purdue settlement

June 16, 2025 (DENVER) – Attorney General Phil Weiser today announced that all 55 attorneys general, representing all eligible states and U.S. territories, agreed to sign on to a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family.

The Sackler family also informed the attorneys general of its plan to proceed with the settlement, which would resolve litigation against Purdue and the Sacklers for their role in the creating and worsening the opioid crisis across the country. Now that the state sign-on period has concluded, local governments across the country will be asked to join the settlement contingent on bankruptcy court proceedings.

“One of the very first cases I brought was against the Sackler family, working to hold them accountable and provide critical funds to address our opioid crisis,” said Weiser. “Seeing this work to completion marks the end of an important chapter and an opportunity to support Colorado’s nationally recognized opioid crisis response work. The Sacklers’ conduct was outrageous, illegal, and immoral; this settlement ends their involvement with Purdue Pharma and provides a measure of accountability for their wrongdoing.”

Under the Sacklers’ ownership, Purdue made and aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, fueling the largest drug crisis in the nation’s history. The settlement ends the Sacklers’ control of Purdue and their ability to sell opioids in the United States. Communities across the country will directly receive funds over the next 15 years to support addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery.

This settlement in principle is the nation’s largest settlement to date with individuals responsible for the opioid crisis. Colorado will receive an estimated $75,670,000 from this settlement over the next 15 years.

Most of the settlement funds will be distributed in the first three years. The Sacklers will pay $1.5 billion, and Purdue will pay roughly $900 million in the first payment, followed by $500 million after one year, an additional $500 million after two years, and $400 million after three years.

Like prior opioid settlements, the settlement with Purdue and the Sacklers will involve resolution of legal claims by state and local governments. The local government sign-on and voting solicitation process for this settlement moving forward will be contingent on bankruptcy court approval. A hearing is scheduled on that matter in the coming days.

Including this new settlement, Colorado has obtained settlements committing nearly $870 million in funds from companies that fueled the opioid epidemic.

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Media Contact:
Lawrence Pacheco
Chief Communications Officer
(720) 508-6553 office
lawrence.pacheco@coag.gov