Purdue Pharma Sentencing Postponed

Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, is facing its final criminal sentencing, which was postponed by U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to allow victims to attend in person. This sentencing is a crucial step in finalizing a comprehensive settlement for thousands of lawsuits related to the opioid crisis. As part of the agreement, Purdue Pharma will forfeit $225 million to the United States — United States Department of Justice and will cease to exist, being replaced by a new public benefit company, Knoa Pharma LLC. The Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, will contribute up to $7 billion to the settlement, which will be distributed to state, local, and Native American tribal governments, as well as individual victims. Despite the settlement, some victims, including Susan Ousterman, are pushing for criminal charges against individual Sackler family members, arguing that the current deal falls short of justice.