The Apopka City Council voted 5-0 on Sept. 17 to accept the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan settlement, which could distribute north of $7 billion over 15 years, including $6.5 billion from the Sackler family, to resolve opioid-related claims.  

To participate in the Purdue/Sackler Settlement, the city of Apopka is required to submit their vote by Sept. 30. The settlement plan will move forward only if the bankruptcy plan is approved. All 55 states and territories are participating in the settlement.  

It’s yet to be seen how much money the city of Apopka could receive from the case because it depends on how many parties will join the settlement, city attorney Cliff Shepard said. The more that participate, the smaller the allocated portions will be distributed from the total.  

“It’s not easy to tell at the current date what that will look like for Apopka,” he said. “I assume it’ll be what we would consider substantial, but in my world, in Apopka, and given how the money is being split, substantial would mean probably six figures, maybe seven, but unknown.” 

Shepard said the settlement money would go toward reimbursing communities for resolving drug overdose issues such as for treatment programs and rehabilitation facilities.  

Eric Romano, the lawyer representing the city of Apopka in the lawsuit, recommended that the city accept the bankruptcy plan to maximize funds available, Shepard said. 

The most recent national opioid national settlement has been reached with eight opioids manufacturers:  Alvogen, Amneal, Apotex, Hikma, Indivior, Mylan, Sun and Zydus, according to documents related to the lawsuit.  

Because the state of Florida is joining the secondary manufacturers settlement, the city of Apopka received paperwork to participate in the settlement. The documents must be executed without any changes and sent back by the Oct. 8 deadline.  

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York has approved Purdue Pharma’s disclosure statement for its Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization last June, which would see a $7.4-billion payout to over 600,000 claimants that qualify to vote.   

The Chapter 11 filing follows a 2024 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan, which would have distributed $6 billion to opioid overdose victims, and local and state governments but would have protected the Sackler family from any liability.  

“Following the 2024 Supreme Court ruling, we doubled down on our commitment to work with our creditors to design a new Plan that delivers unprecedented value to those affected by the opioid crisis,” Steve Miller, Purdue board chairman, said in a June 20 Purdue Pharma statement. “Today’s disclosure statement approval is a major milestone in that effort. We and our creditors have worked tirelessly in mediation to build consensus and negotiate a settlement that will increase the total value provided to victims and communities, put billions of dollars to work on day one, and serve the public good.” 

The court will hold a hearing for the bankruptcy plan this November.