LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel confirmed late Thursday afternoon she is participating in settlement discussions with Purdue Pharma, the Stamford, Connecticut-based maker of OxyContin.
Nessel said in a statement she’s working with her Republican counterparts to participate in a plan to “hold Purdue Pharma accountable for its role in contributing to the opioid epidemic nationwide.”
“I am committed to keeping all options open in an effort to provide relief to the residents of Michigan who have been ravaged by this crisis,” Nessel said.
“While I have tremendous respect for my Democratic colleagues who have elected to opt out of settlement discussions, ultimately each attorney general is obligated to pursue the course of action which is most beneficial to our respective states. I believe Michigan residents are best served by an infusion of funds into our state as quickly as possible so we can begin providing relief to our hardest hit communities and to provide assistance to those who are suffering from addiction.
“This epidemic is a public health crisis. Michigan cannot wait any longer to ensure that those pharmaceutical companies who created it begin paying to redress the harm they’ve caused.”
Purdue Pharma is a defendant in thousands of opioid-related lawsuits filed by multiple states and attorneys representing about 2,000 local governments across the U.S., according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday a “tentative settlement” for a far-reaching national settlement with the states and local governments would have the drugmaker file for a structured bankruptcy and pay out as much as $12 billion
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