Bankruptcy judge OKs federal settlement with Purdue Pharma

(AP) A bankruptcy judge has given his approval to OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's $8 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Judge Robert Drain's ruling came over objections from some states and advocates for those harmed by the opioid overdose and addiction crisis, which has claimed some 470,000 lives in the U.S. over the past two decades.

Opponents argued that accepting the settlement now locks the judge into accepting the company’s proposal to resolve the lawsuits.

The judge, however, said states and the federal government should be able to agree on Purdue’s future.

In the El Paso County coroner's office annual report for 2019, opioid fentanyl was present at 21 deaths.