Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced on May 1 that a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family is now legally in effect, with North Carolina set to receive nearly $150 million for addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery.
The settlement permanently bars the Sacklers from selling opioids in the United States. It resolves litigation against Purdue and the Sacklers for their role in producing and marketing opioids, which has contributed to what is described as the largest drug crisis in U.S. history.
“Purdue and the Sacklers built a business on getting people addicted to opioids. They knew what they were doing, and they did it anyway,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “This settlement bans them from ever selling opioids in this country again, and it puts $150 million into North Carolina for treatment and recovery. It’s the end of a long fight, and it’s the right outcome.”
The North Carolina Department of Justice helped lead negotiations under both Attorney General Jackson and former Attorney General Josh Stein. The state joined other attorneys general across all eligible U.S. states and territories in reaching this agreement after years of investigation, lawsuits filed since 2018 against Purdue Pharma and members of the Sackler family, bankruptcy proceedings beginning in 2019, renegotiations following a Supreme Court decision invalidating an earlier deal in June 2024, according to details released by officials.
Most funds will be distributed within three years: over $1.5 billion paid immediately by the Sacklers followed by additional payments through May 2029; Purdue will also pay approximately $900 million today. With this latest agreement, North Carolina has secured a total of $1.6 billion from opioid settlements for statewide use—local governments are set to receive about $1.3 billion—and residents can track local spending via CORE-NC’s online resources.
The terms also transfer Purdue’s manufacturing operations to Knoa Pharma LLC under independent oversight while preventing future opioid marketing by Knoa; more than 30 million documents related to Purdue’s opioid business will be made public as part of transparency measures.
The North Carolina State Executive Attorney General aims to prevent crime, assist law enforcement, protect consumers and defend state residents’ rights according to its official website. Jeff Jackson heads this office as attorney general according to its official website, providing services including legal representation, criminal prosecution support and consumer protection according to its official website. The office extends its services across all regions of North Carolina according to its official website with authority over legal matters affecting state governance according to its official website.
