Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family will be shielded until April 8, 2020, from opioid litigation. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain made the decision in order to give the drugmaker time to try to reach a legal settlement that may be worth $10 billion.
Drain plans to approve an order extending a stay on more than 2,600 lawsuits that accuse Purdue and the Sacklers of fueling a crisis that contributed to 400,000 U.S. deaths between 1999 and 2017.
While the litigation is on hold, Purdue and the Sacklers have expressed their intent to share information with the states, municipalities, Native American tribes, hospitals, individuals and others who have sued.
Purdue filed for bankruptcy in September.
Read the Reuters report