State in talks on Purdue opioids settlement, AG says

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is “actively participating” in settlement negotiations with Purdue Pharma, her office said Thursday, as reports emerged this week that attorneys general from half the states plus some local governments had reached a tentative deal with the maker of OxyContin over remuneration for the nation’s opioid crisis.

The agreement could result in as much as $12 billion in payments by Purdue, The Associated Press reported Wednesday, as well as an additional $3 billion from the Sackler family that owns the company.

While an undisclosed number of state attorneys general were reported to be a part of the deal, other states were reported to be seeking harsher terms and more money.

Rutledge, who sued Purdue and several other drug-makers in state court last year, initially declined to say whether she was a part of the reported deal. Her office called such discussions “highly, highly confidential.”

On Thursday, Rutledge’s office released the following statement: “The Attorney General is actively participating in settlement discussions on behalf of the state of Arkansas, along with other cooperating states which aim to hold Purdue and the Sackler family accountable for their role in misleading and deceptive conduct in the opioid crisis.

“Arkansas has been devastated by the opioid epidemic, and to solve this crisis Attorney General Rutledge has taken a multifaceted approach which includes legal action to seek justice for those who have lost their lives to addiction and seek resources for the State to address this massive problem.”

A spokeswoman for Rutledge declined to elaborate on whether she was leaning toward or away from a deal, or what the attorney general was seeking as compensation for the state.

Arkansas is second in the nation in opioid prescription rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2017, for every 100 people in the state, 105.4 prescriptions were written. Only Alabama had a higher number.

The severity of the impact of the opioid crisis on Arkansas also led a coalition of counties and municipalities in the state to file their own lawsuit against Purdue and other drugmakers, led by District Attorney Scott Ellington of Jonesboro.

Ellington did not return phone calls Wednesday or Thursday to discuss the status of the lawsuit.

Chris Villines, the executive director of the Association of Arkansas Counties, said Wednesday that while the county and city lawsuit was not a part of the possible Purdue settlement, it could impact negotiations in their lawsuit.