Biggest ever U.S. opioid crisis settlement

Purdue Pharma, and the Sackler family who controlled it, are
to pay out $7.4 billion for promoting OxyContin as a safe
painkiller, despite knowing it was highly addictive

BIGGEST PHARMACEUTICAL SETTLEMENTS ($)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Purdue/Sackler
Johnson & Johnson*
GlaxoSmithKline
Takeda Pharmaceutical
Pfizer
Johnson & Johnson
Abbott Laboratories
Eli Lilly and Company
Merck
TAP Pharmaceutical

2025
2022
2012
2015
2009
2013
2012
2009
2011
2001

7.4bn
5.0bn
3.0bn
2.4bn
2.3bn
2.2bn
1.6bn
1.4bn
950m
875m

OxyContin was widely
abused, often becoming
entryway to harder
drugs like heroin

LARGEST SETTLEMENTS (all industries, $)

1
2
3
4
5

Philip Morris/R.J. Reynolds tobacco
Samsung smartphone wars
BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill
Volkswagen emissions scandal
Purdue/Sackler OxyContin

1998
2012
2010
2015
2025

206.0bn
40.0bn
18.7bn
14.7bn
7.4bn

Sources: BBC, Peter Angelos Law, Reuters, Waldrons Solicitors, Civille
Pictures: Newscom, Healthcare Packaging
*Also linked to opioid crisis
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