The Legacy of Purdue Pharma and OxyContin
Purdue Pharma, a privately held company owned by the Sackler family, launched OxyContin in 1996 [1.2.2]. The drug, a time-released formulation of oxycodone, was aggressively marketed as a safe and effective treatment for a wide range of pain conditions [1.2.5]. The company's marketing campaigns, which included claims that the risk of addiction was very low, are now widely seen as a primary catalyst for the devastating opioid crisis in the United States [1.2.2, 1.2.5]. Internal documents revealed that Purdue was aware of reports of the drug being crushed and snorted for a heroin-like high as early as 1997 [1.2.2].
This aggressive marketing led to massive financial success. Between 1995 and 2001, OxyContin generated $2.8 billion in revenue for the company, with cumulative revenues reaching $35 billion by 2017 [1.2.2]. However, this success came at a terrible cost, fueling an epidemic of addiction and overdose deaths across the country [1.2.5].
Legal Fallout and Criminal Charges
As the crisis escalated, so did the legal and public scrutiny of Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family.
- In 2007, Purdue Pharma and three of its top executives pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for misleading the public about OxyContin's risk of addiction. They agreed to pay $634.5 million in fines [1.2.2].
- By 2019, thousands of lawsuits had been filed against the company by state and local governments seeking to hold it accountable for its role in the epidemic [1.2.2].
- Faced with overwhelming litigation, Purdue Pharma filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2019 [1.6.1, 1.6.2].
The Bankruptcy and the Rise of a New Company
The bankruptcy process has been long and contentious, largely focused on the extent of the Sackler family's financial contribution and their protection from future lawsuits. A June 2024 Supreme Court ruling rejected a settlement that would have shielded the Sackler family from civil liability, as they had not personally filed for bankruptcy [1.3.2, 1.3.8].
Following this ruling, a new Plan of Reorganization was filed in March 2025 [1.3.6]. This plan outlines the dissolution of Purdue Pharma and the transfer of its assets to a new entity: Knoa Pharma LLC [1.5.1, 1.5.2].
Introducing Knoa Pharma
Knoa Pharma is structured as a public benefit company with a radically different mission [1.3.6].
- Ownership: It will be owned by the National Opioid Abatement Trust (NOAT) [1.5.2]. The Sackler family will have no ownership or involvement in the new company [1.2.1, 1.3.2].
- Mission: Its profits and operations will be dedicated to abating the opioid crisis. This includes developing and distributing millions of doses of opioid addiction treatments and overdose reversal medicines [1.3.3, 1.5.2].
- Oversight: Knoa Pharma will operate under strict covenants and be monitored to ensure its products, including any continued production of OxyContin, are provided safely and to reduce the risk of diversion [1.5.2].
So, while Purdue Pharma as it was known will cease to exist, the manufacturing of its products continues under this new framework. Knoa Pharma will continue to produce OxyContin and other existing medicines, with all profits directed towards combating the very crisis the original drug helped create [1.3.5, 1.5.1]. The original, easily crushable version of OxyContin was withdrawn after the FDA approved an abuse-deterrent reformulation [1.4.1, 1.4.3]. It is this reformulated version that will continue to be produced.
Comparison: Purdue Pharma vs. Knoa Pharma
| Feature | Purdue Pharma L.P. | Knoa Pharma LLC |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Privately owned by the Sackler family [1.2.2] | Owned by a public trust (NOAT) for abating the opioid crisis [1.5.2] |
| Governance | Board included members of the Sackler family [1.2.2] | New, independent board members selected by stakeholders [1.5.2] |
| Primary Mission | Profit generation through pharmaceutical sales [1.2.2] | Public health mission to address the opioid crisis [1.3.3, 1.5.1] |
| Profits | Benefited the Sackler family trusts and entities [1.2.2] | Directed to the National Opioid Abatement Trust and other trusts [1.5.2] |
| Oversight | Faced numerous lawsuits for deceptive marketing [1.2.2] | Subject to a court-ordered injunction and a corporate monitor [1.5.2] |
Conclusion: A New Chapter for a Notorious Drug
The question of who makes OxyContin now marks a pivotal shift in one of the most controversial stories in modern pharmacology. Purdue Pharma, the company that made billions while fueling a public health catastrophe, is being dissolved [1.3.6]. In its place emerges Knoa Pharma, a company born from bankruptcy and legally bound to a public health mission [1.5.1]. This new entity will continue manufacturing a reformulated version of OxyContin, but its purpose is inverted: instead of generating private wealth, its profits will be used to fund addiction treatment and prevention, hopefully turning a tool of addiction into a source of restitution [1.3.3, 1.5.2]. The transition represents a novel and complex attempt to derive public good from the legacy of a drug that caused immense harm.
For more information on the history of the opioid crisis, one authoritative resource is the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/nih-almanac/national-institute-drug-abuse-nida
