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WASHINGTON – Senior legal officials from 27 states and territories and lawyers from more than 2,000 cities and counties announced Wednesday that they had agreed to a multi-billion dollar interim agreement with Purdue Pharma, the company's manufacturer. opioid OxyContin, for its role in the opioid crisis.
At least 16 other state attorneys general who sue the drug company, however, told NBC News that they had not yet agreed to the deal with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, to which the company belongs. .
Under the terms of a plan first announced by NBC News in August, the Sackler family would abandon control of Purdue, which would then declare bankrupt and be converted into a for-profit trust. Proceeds from the sale of drugs would go to plaintiffs, which include more than 45 states and territories and nearly 2,300 cities and counties. The deal, which includes additional funds from the Sacklers, is valued at $ 10 billion to $ 12 billion.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Attorney General's Office of Tennessee stated that it was part of a bipartisan group of 27 Attorneys General who "agreed on a framework to settle the claims against Purdue. Pharma and the Sackler family ".
Earlier, the Arizona AG office issued a similar statement in which it announced an agreement in principle with "at least 25 other bipartite states and territories".
The group of lawyers representing cities and counties who sued Purdue issued his own statement in which he said he agreed to recommend the approval of the agreement to his clients.
NBC News attempted to contact each state and territory involved in the lawsuit and obtained responses from 34 people. The Attorney General's offices in 18 states and territories said they were in favor of the agreement, while 16 states opposed it.
Opinions were widely shared on party lines. All but one of the attorneys general who told NBC News that they were against the agreement are Democrats, while all except three pro-government attorneys are Republicans.
The Attorney General of North Carolina, who opposes the deal, issued a statement Wednesday in which it was stated that "a large number of states" felt that the Sackler family had to guarantee more money.
"We think that they have created a mess and that they must help solve the problem," said Attorney General Josh Stein. "I am now preparing deposits to sue the Sackler family."
"Different states have different views, as one might expect, but every attorney general agrees that Purdue, the Sacklers, and other pharmaceutical companies must pay to treat those who suffer from addiction."
The Sackler family said Wednesday that she "supported the search for a comprehensive resolution that would direct resources to patients, families, and communities across the country who are suffering and in need of assistance. This is the most effective way to deal with the urgency of the current public health crisis, and to fund real solutions, not endless litigation. "
Adiel Kaplan, Ari Sen and Samantha Springer contributed.
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