Utah to receive $57M in settlement with Purdue Pharma over opioid crisis

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A $57 million paycheck will be coming to Utah after the Beehive State and 54 other jurisdictions agreed to a settlement agreement with the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma over their role in the opioid epidemic.

The Utah Division of Consumer Protection revived the 2019 lawsuit in September 2024, accusing Richard Sackler, the owner of pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, of lying to Utahns about the opioid OxyContin.

The lawsuit claimed Purdue Pharma “aggressively marketed” opioids such as OxyContin as safe, despite being aware of their highly addictive nature. The Utah Division of Consumer Protection said the campaign led to a deadly surge in opioid prescriptions nationwide, including Utah.

Between 2002 and 2015, opioid prescriptions surged by over one million, according to the Utah Office of the Attorney General. Between 2013 and 2015, Utah ranked seventh in the nation in prescription drug poisoning deaths. The Utah Office of the Medical Examiner said prescription opioids were responsible for the deaths of over 1,600 people in the state between 2014 and 2019.

Eight month old among three people killed in WestFest shooting

“Utah families deserve this resolution after Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family recklessly harmed our communities and contributed to the opioid epidemic,” said Utah Attorney General Derek Brown. “I will continue to use all the tools I have available, including litigation and prosecution, to protect Utahns in the future from these deadly drugs.”

Under the terms of the settlement, the Sackler family will pay $6.5 billion over the next 15 years. Approximately $900 million will come from Purdue Pharma. The agreement also ends the Sacklers’ control over Purdue Pharma and restricts the sale of opioids in the United States. Any lobbying or marketing efforts by Purdue Pharma will be limited and monitored.

The Utah Office of the Attorney General said the $57 million it will receive from the settlement will be used to help mitigate the ongoing impact of opioids in the state. This is in addition to the $540 million the state will receive from previously agreed-upon settlements, with $275 million designated for the state and $265 million to be dispersed among the counties, according to the AG’s Office.

“Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family caused immense harm and innumerable lives lost through their deceptive marketing and greed,” said Margaret Woolley Busse, Executive Director of the Utah Department of Commerce. “Utah never stopped its work to hold Purdue and the Sacklers accountable for what they have done and the devastation they have caused.”

Latest headlines:

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.