Washington state and local governments will receive more than $105 million as part of a newly finalized $7.4 billion multistate settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family over their role in fueling the nation’s opioid crisis.
Last week, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown announced that the settlement, reached alongside attorneys general across the country, has officially become legally effective after years of litigation tied to Purdue Pharma’s aggressive marketing of opioid medications, including OxyContin.
Under the agreement, Washington will receive approximately $105.6 million, with half allocated to the state and the remainder distributed among 125 cities and counties based on previously established formulas. Most of the money is expected to arrive over the next three years.
“The powerful opioids that Purdue and the Sacklers so aggressively marketed stole the lives of loved ones across Washington, devastating families,” Brown said. “Now, through the persistence by our office and AGs across the country, the profits accumulated by the Sacklers and Purdue will pay for treatment centers, support first responders, and help communities across our state rebuild from the opioid crisis.”
The settlement marks a major milestone in nearly a decade of investigations and legal action led by state attorneys general nationwide. Washington first sued Purdue Pharma in 2017 after joining a multistate investigation launched the year before.
Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy protection in 2019 amid mounting lawsuits tied to the opioid epidemic, which has contributed to hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths nationwide over the past two decades. Attorneys general later played a central role in bankruptcy negotiations and restructuring efforts after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down portions of a previous settlement in 2024.
The finalized agreement permanently bars members of the Sackler family from selling opioids in the United States and directs billions of dollars toward addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery programs nationwide over the next 15 years.
A significant portion of the funding will be distributed early in the settlement timeline. According to the agreement, the Sackler family is paying more than $1.5 billion immediately, followed by additional payments of approximately $500 million in both 2027 and 2028, and another $400 million in 2029. Purdue Pharma is also contributing roughly $900 million upfront.
With this latest agreement, Washington has now secured more than $1.3 billion total in opioid-related settlement funds from pharmaceutical companies and distributors connected to the opioid epidemic.
The settlement also restructures Purdue Pharma’s future operations. Effective immediately, Purdue’s manufacturing business will transfer to Knoa Pharma LLC, a new entity overseen by an independent board with no prior ties to Purdue. The agreement prohibits Knoa from marketing opioids and establishes independent oversight intended to reduce risks tied to misuse and diversion.
As part of the settlement terms, Purdue and the Sackler family must also release more than 30 million internal documents related to their opioid business practices, potentially providing additional public insight into how opioid medications were marketed and distributed during the height of the crisis.
The agreement was joined by attorneys general representing all eligible U.S. states and territories, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive opioid settlements reached to date.
