Purdue donates $2M for coronavirus, opioid relief
STAMFORD — Bankrupt OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma has made a $2.1 million commitment to provide antiseptic products to health care workers responding to the coronavirus crisis in Connecticut and New York state and support programs combating the opioid epidemic.
The total donation comes to $1.6 million worth of Betadine Solution and Betadine Surgical Scrub made by Purdue subsidiary Avrio Health and $500,000 for initiatives to respond to the opioid crisis. As the state hardest hit by the new coronavirus, New York will be the first recipient of the Betadine supplies, while shipments to Connecticut will soon follow, the company said.
“COVID-19 has affected our communities, and we have deep appreciation for those on the front lines, as well as sympathy for those battling illness and those who have lost loved ones,” Purdue CEO and President Craig Landau said in a statement Monday. “The health care community has shown incredible courage and strength during the pandemic, which is presenting unprecedented public health challenges. Preventive measures, including hand hygiene, are important and trusted safeguards in healthcare settings. We are committed to doing our part in helping health care workers.”
Connecticut and New York’s state governments — which sued Purdue in 2018 for its alleged role in the opioid crisis — will decide how to allocate the Betadine donations. Purdue said it is providing supplies sufficient for about 630,000 hand-washings for New York health care professionals and about 79,000 hand-washings among Connecticut workers.
Messages left for the offices of Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo seeking comment on the donations were not immediately returned.
Purdue said it is working with health officials in other states to determine where additional Betadine shipments might be most needed.
Betadine Solution and Betadine Surgical Scrub are used to reduce the number of microorganisms on the skin that can cause infections. Povidone-iodine products such as Betadine have been used in hospital and outpatient centers for more than 50 years.
Also, Purdue said that its
$500,000 contribution focused on the opioid crisis will support local and national organizations that are delivering harm-reduction programs, improving access to medication-assisted treatment and providing addiction-recovery services.
Today, Purdue and its creditors are trying to reach through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings a settlement of the approximately
3,000 lawsuits that allege Purdue fueled the national opioid crisis with deceptive OxyContin marketing. The company and the Sackler family members who own the company have denied those accusations.
Purdue and the Sacklers have offered a deal that they value at more than $10 billion. In addition, the Sacklers are proposing to relinquish control of the company so that it could be turned into a public-benefit trust.
The $2.1 million pledge would not affect those prospective settlement terms, according to Purdue officials.
About half of the states that have sued Purdue have accepted those terms. But 24 “non-consenting states,” including Connecticut and New York, have held out because they see the plan as not going far enough to address Purdue’s purported misconduct and not doing enough to tackle the opioid epidemic.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and New York Attorney General Letitia James declined to comment on the donations.