OxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma Set to Dissolve After Judge Approves Its Criminal Sentence

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma is set to be dissolved and replaced by a company focused on the public good by the week’s end.

People rally outside a courthouse while a hearing for Purdue Pharma takes place inside in Newark, N.J., Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Seth Wenig/AP Photo

NEWARK, N.J.—OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma is set to be dissolved and replaced by a company focused on the public good by the week’s end, as a massive legal settlement resolving thousands of lawsuits takes effect.

A federal judge on Tuesday delivered a criminal sentence to the company to resolve a U.S. Department of Justice probe—a last necessary step to clear the way for the settlement.