A mediator in Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy case on Wednesday indicated an agreement was being drafted between the company's owners and U.S. states pressing for more money to resolve allegations that the OxyContin maker fueled the opioid epidemic, Reuters reported. Members of the wealthy Sackler family, who own Purdue Pharma, have been trying to reach an agreement with eight states and the District of Columbia, after they had blocked a previous settlement that included a $4.3 billion cash payment. The Sacklers had proposed a settlement worth up to $6 billion in mediation, and most of the states had agreed to settle on those terms, according to a report filed in February by mediator Judge Shelley Chapman. Judge Chapman reported yesterday that she was unilaterally extending talks, which U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain had allowed if she is actively involved in drafting terms. While neither Purdue nor the mediator offered any details during a Wednesday court hearing, Drain said he believed the mediation was proceeding as hoped after "reading between the lines" of the latest report. To allow the mediation to progress, Judge Drain extended a litigation shield that protects the Sacklers from being sued for their alleged role in the opioid crisis until March 23. The shield would have expired on March 3 if it was not extended.
