Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Apr 03, 2026

Native American tribes reach $590m settlements over opioids devastation

Native American tribes reach $590m settlements over opioids devastation

Filing involves Johnson & Johnson and three big distributors as attorney general for eight states and DC close to deal with Purdue
Native American tribes have reached settlements over the toll of opioids totaling $590m with Johnson & Johnson and the country’s three largest drug distribution companies, according to a court filing on Tuesday.

The filing in Cleveland lays out the details of the settlements with Johnson & Johnson and AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.

All federally recognized tribes will be able to participate in the settlements, even if they did not sue over opioids. Many tribes have been hit hard by the addiction and overdose crisis.

The same companies are nearing the final stages of approval of settlements worth $26bn with state and local governments across the US.

Elsewhere, attorneys general for eight holdout states and the District of Columbia are close to reaching a new settlement with the OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would require members of the family who own the company to increase their contribution to the deal, according to a court filing.

A judge gave the Sackler family 16 more days of protection from lawsuits over the toll of the drugs while the details are worked out.

Legal protections for members of the Sackler family had been set to expire, opening the floodgates for new or resumed claims that individuals in the billionaire family bore personal responsibility for an opioid crisis that has been linked to the deaths of more than 500,000 Americans.

At a hearing held by video conference from his courtroom in White Plains, New York, a US bankruptcy judge, Robert Drain, agreed to the extend legal protections for family members for the 12th time since 2019.

The ruling came a day after a second bankruptcy judge serving as a mediator in the matter said the Sacklers and other parties were close to a new settlement.

The judge, Shelley Chapman, said in the court filing members of the Sackler family would contribute a “substantial additional consideration” above the $4.5bn in cash and charitable assets they have already agreed to pay as part of a deal, along with giving up ownership of Stamford, Connecticut-based Purdue.

She said the attorneys general for eight states and the District of Columbia who objected to a previous settlement deal were close to agreeing in principle to the new one. Chapman said mediation should wrap up by 7 February.

Drain said he would approve that and also grant Purdue’s request to keep legal protections in place for Sackler family members until 17 February.

Drain said that if a deal was not in place by then, “all bets are open” as to whether he would protect the family again.

The effort to reach a new settlement is the latest chapter in a complicated legal saga through bankruptcy court.

Last year, the overwhelming majority of Purdue’s creditors, including state and local governments, Native American tribes and individual victims of the opioid crisis agreed to a settlement, which Drain approved.

But in December, another judge dismissed it, ruling that Drain lacked jurisdiction to let the Sacklers off the legal hook when some parties disagreed. That ruling is being appealed.

At Tuesday’s hearing, only one lawyer pushed against extending protections for members of the family, which is worth billions: Joe Rice, a lead lawyer for local governments who had sued Purdue.

He argued that it was time to open other legal options in a case that has rung up legal and professional fees of $740m so far.

A Purdue lawyer pointed out that more than half of those costs were to pay to notify victims they could request a piece of a settlement and to pay the legal costs of the company’s creditors.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump’s Strategic Pressure on UK Seen as Push for Stronger Alignment and Fairer Terms
UK Focuses on Trade Finance to Secure Critical Materials for Defence and Energy Sectors
Majority of UK Businesses Hit by Middle East Conflict While Confidence Holds Firm
UK Royal Navy Faces Renewed Scrutiny as Debate Intensifies Over Capability and Readiness
Reform UK Faces Mounting Distractions as Policy Agenda Struggles to Gain Traction
Investigation Launched Into Northern Cyprus IVF Clinics After UK Families Receive Incorrect Sperm
International Meeting Issues Unified Call to Safeguard Navigation Through Strait of Hormuz
Potential Strait of Hormuz Closure Raises Concerns Over UK Food and Medicine Supply Chains
UK Leads Coalition of Over Forty Nations Urging Iran to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
UK Secures Tariff-Free Access for Medicines in Landmark US Pharma Trade Agreement
King Charles III Invited to Address Joint Session of U.S. Congress in Rare Diplomatic Honor
Debate Grows Over Whether Expanded North Sea Drilling Can Reduce UK Energy Bills
UK Faces Heightened Risk of Jet Fuel Shortages, Airline Chief Warns
UK Ends Police Investigations into Lawful Social Media Posts After Review Finds Overreach
Abramovich Moves to Establish Charity for Frozen Chelsea Sale Proceeds Amid UK Dispute
Starmer Reaffirms NATO Commitment While Responding to Trump’s Strategic Critique
UK Aid Reductions Raise Fears of Severe Human Impact Across Parts of Africa
UK Signals Renewed Push for EU Cooperation as Iran Conflict Reshapes Security Landscape
Bank of England Signals Caution as Bailey Advises Markets Against Expecting Rate Hikes
UK to Convene Global Coalition to Restore Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz
Trump Signals Possible NATO Reassessment, Emphasizes Stronger U.S. Strategic Autonomy
Australia Joins British-Led Efforts to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Amid Escalating Tensions
King Charles Plans US State Visit as UK Strengthens Ties with Trump Leadership
UK Regulator Launches Investigation Into Microsoft’s Business Software Practices
Kanye West Set for High-Profile Return to UK Stage at Wireless Festival
Trump Presses Europe to Strengthen Commitment as Iran Conflict Escalates
UK to Deploy Additional Troops to Middle East Amid Rising Regional Tensions
UK Authorities Face Claims of Heavy-Handed Measures in Monitoring Released Pro-Palestine Activists
Trump Calls on UK to Secure Its Own Energy as Iran Conflict Intensifies
Nigel Farage Declines Invitation to UK Conservative Conference Led by Liz Truss
Trump Warns Allies to Take Responsibility as Rift Deepens with UK and France Over Iran Conflict
How Britain’s Prime Minister Controls U.S. Bomber Access in Escalating Iran Conflict
Trump Urges Allies to Secure Their Own Oil Supplies as Hormuz Crisis Disrupts Global Energy
Russia Expels British Diplomat as UK Pushes Back Against Pressure
White House App Faces Scrutiny After Claims of Continuous User Location Tracking
BBC Faces Scrutiny Over Allegations of Paid Content Linked to Saudi Arabia
UK-France Coastal Patrol Agreement Nears Breakdown Amid Migration Pressures
UK Police Detain Pro-Palestine Activist Again Weeks After Bail Release
FTSE 100 Advances as Energy and Mining Shares Gain Amid Middle East Tensions
Eli Lilly Seeks UK Pricing Deal to Unlock Renewed Pharmaceutical Investment
Three Arrested in UK After Massive Cocaine Haul Discovered Hidden in Banana Shipment
UK Fuel Prices Poised for Further Surge Amid Global Energy Pressures
Apple Subsidiary Penalized by UK Authorities for Breach of Moscow Sanctions
Western Allies Intensify Coordinated Sanctions Strategy Against Russia
UK Lawmakers Face Criticism Over Renewed Push for Social Media Restrictions
Starmer Signals UK Crackdown on Addictive Social Media Features
Rising Costs Push One in Five UK Hospitality Businesses to the Brink of Closure
Man Arrested on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After Car Strikes Pedestrians in UK, Injuring Seven
Escalating Conflict Involving Iran Tightens Fiscal Pressures and Highlights UK Economic Vulnerabilities
UK Moves to Confront Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Operating in Its Waters
×