Purdue Pharma shuts down after yearslong role in US opioid crisis
USA Today • • nation
Key Points:
- Purdue Pharma officially shut down on May 1 as part of a $7.4 billion settlement addressing its role in the opioid epidemic, with operations transitioning to a new nonprofit entity called Knoa Pharma.
- The Sackler family, former private owners of Purdue, are barred from selling opioids in the U.S. and have no involvement in Knoa, with ongoing payments totaling billions required through 2029 to address the crisis.
- Knoa Pharma will produce medications, including opioids, under independent oversight, cannot lobby or advertise, and must allocate excess revenue to support opioid abatement programs for affected communities.
- Missouri and other states will receive settlement funds over the coming years to enhance public health responses such as treatment and prevention of opioid addiction.
- Purdue was also ordered to pay over $5 billion in criminal penalties for its role in the epidemic, which has caused approximately 806,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. between 1999 and 2023.
