Aug 27, 2019 - Health

Purdue Pharma reportedly offers $10 billion to settle opioids lawsuit

Protestors in front of the Louvre against the Sackler family

Protestors demonstrate in front of the Louvre against the French museum's ties to the Sackler family. Photo: Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images

Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, have proposed a settlement in the nationwide opioids lawsuit that would be worth $10 billion–$12 billion, NBC News reports.

Why it matters: Purdue is the focal point of this litigation, but the proposed settlement would amount to only a fraction of what the opioid epidemic has cost the U.S. — and only about a third of Purdue's OxyContin sales.

The big picture: The total settlement would include donations of life-saving anti-overdose drugs and the proceeds from the sale of other drugs. The Sacklers would also sell off a separate business to contribute another $3 billion. The family is worth an estimated $13 billion, and Purdue made more than $35 billion from OxyContin sales, per NBC.

Go deeper: Why the first opioids lawsuit verdict is both big and small

Go deeper