OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington State could soon have a lot more money to battle the opioid crisis.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced on Thursday, March 3rd, they’ll receive $113 million from Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family after he challenged the Oxycontin maker’s bankruptcy plan.
Ferguson, along with eight other attorneys general, won an addition $1.1 billion to help states, cities and tribes tackle opioid addiction.
The settlement must still be approved by a bankruptcy court, but Ferguson says if it’s not upheld he’ll continue to fight to hold the Sacklers and Purdue accountable.
Purdue Pharma declared bankruptcy in 2019 after they were sued by 48 states claiming the pharmaceutical company launched a deceptive marketing campaign downplaying the addiction risks of Oxycontin.