Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “As we continue to fight the pervasive opioid epidemic, I am pleased to announce that we have secured additional monies—now more than $4 billion—to help fund critical resources for communities struggling from this devastation. Although we cannot reverse the damage that this epidemic has inflicted, these life-saving funds will now be available early next year, and strict measures are now in place going forward to prevent the insidious and harmful marketing of opioids.”

Attorney General Moody’s office served on the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Ad Hoc Committee—an 18-member committee consisting of states, counties, cities and territories—that led negotiations and discovery on behalf of the thousands of communities across the country impacted by the opioid crisis. State and local governments are projected to receive more than $4.5 billion under the proposed bankruptcy plan. This filing represents a significant step toward providing crucial recovery resources nationwide for those damaged by the opioid crisis that has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The states will collectively continue negotiating with the debtor to finalize terms that are most beneficial for all states and their local communities to maximize the needed abatement funds.

The plan is under consideration before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York with Judge Robert Drain presiding. Purdue Pharma’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding is separate from ongoing federal and state opioid litigation.