Attorney General Neronha announces recovery of nearly $30 million for Rhode Island in settlement with Purdue Pharma for their role in the opioid epidemic
Published on Monday, June 16, 2025
Attorney General Neronha today announced that Rhode Island has recovered nearly $30 million after 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 has agreed to proceed with the settlement, which would resolve litigation against Purdue and Sacklers for their role in 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 anticipated approval in bankruptcy court proceedings.
“The role of Purdue Pharma, and the Sackler Family in particular, in the opioid epidemic cannot be understated: together they are responsible for hundreds of thousands of lives lost or damaged, families broken, and communities in pain,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Purdue and the Sacklers knowingly pumped highly addictive opioids into cities and towns across America, for the sake of greed and profit, no matter the human cost. With this $30 million, the Office has now recovered $312 million in cash and life-saving medicine from opioid manufacturers, distributors and nation-wide pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens. These funds are making a real difference for Rhode Islanders, by, for example, expanding the state’s in-patient and out-patient treatment capacity, and driving down overdose and overdose deaths.”
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. Rhode Island state and local governments will receive over $27 million dollars within the first year of the settlement period, once the settlement is finalized and approved by court. Rhode Island will receive the bulk of its settlement funds in an up-front payment. Additional funds to cover state litigation expenses as well as potentially additional settlement proceeds resulting from the sale of Purdue entities are expected over the next 15 years.
In total, 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, this Office has recovered $312 million in funds and live-saving medication from companies that helped fuel the opioid epidemic. The settlement funds must be used to address the opioids epidemic in the State and will be shared between the state and the municipalities with 80% going to the general fund and 20% allocated to all of Rhode Island’s cities and town.
Earlier this week, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services announced that Rhode Island has seen its second year of reduction in fatal overdoses, with overdose deaths declining 25% since 2022. Although we have many more challenges ahead, the progress we have made to date is directly attributable to the funding and medication this Office has secured as a result of its litigation against opioids distributors, manufacturers, and pharmacies.
Attorney General Neronha is joined in securing this settlement in principle by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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