New York, Connecticut Pursue Claims as Purdue Pharma Settles With 2,000 Local Governments
In the wake of news of a tentative settlement between Purdue Pharma and about 2,000 local governments, New York and Connecticut said they plan to continue to press their litigation against the drug manufacturer.
September 11, 2019 at 04:44 PM
3 minute read
Connecticut and New York attorneys general made it clear Wednesday they are not ready to settle their litigation against Purdue Pharma over the nation's opioid addiction crisis.
Their comments came after the Associated Press Wednesday reported attorneys representing about 2,000 local governments across the country had agreed to a tentative settlement with the pharmaceutical giant and maker of OxyContin. Details of the settlement were not immediately available.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong was quick to respond to the news.
"I cannot speak to other states or divulge confidential negotiations, but Connecticut has not agreed to any settlement," he said. "Our position remains firm and unchanged, and nothing for us has changed today."
Tong is among attorneys general spearheading a lawsuit against the Stamford, Connecticut-based company and its owners, the Sackler family.
"The scope and scale of the pain, death and destruction that Purdue and the Sacklers have caused far exceeds anything that has been offered thus far," Tong said. "Connecticut's focus is on the victims and their families, and holding Purdue and the Sacklers accountable for the crisis they have caused. I cannot predict whether Purdue will seek bankruptcy, but all I can say is we are ready to aggressively pursue this case wherever it goes, whether it is in the Connecticut courts or through bankruptcy."
New York Attorney General Letitia James agreed.
"A deal that doesn't account for the depth and pain and destruction caused by Purdue and the Sacklers is an insult—plain and simple," James said in a statement.
Purdue released a statement saying the company was working to alleviate opioid addiction.
"Purdue Pharma continues to work with all plaintiffs on reaching a comprehensive resolution to its opioid litigation that will deliver billions of dollars and vital opioid overdose rescue medicines to communities across the country impacted by the opioid crisis," it said.
News of Wednesday's tentative agreement comes on the heels of an Ohio settlement conference meeting that Tong and fellow attorneys general held in August. At the time, an NBC news report said the company was looking to offer between $10 billion and $12 billion to settle claims.
Tong has strongly criticized Purdue Pharma. His office filed an amended 62-page lawsuit against the company and individual members of the Sackler family related to the alleged fraudulent fund transfers from the company. Following an investigation in 2007, several Purdue executives pleaded guilty to charges they had misled the public about the risks of OxyContin.
Tong and his court pleadings have claimed the Big Pharma company intentionally misled consumers of the dangers of its product through a marketing scheme, a claim the company has denied.
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