Dr. Rahul Gupta Joins Knoa Foundation Board of Trustees: A New Chapter in Opioid Crisis Accountability

We are proud to announce that Dr. Rahul Gupta, a member of The Helios Alliance Leadership Team, has been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Knoa Foundation — the nonprofit organization that owns and oversees Knoa Pharma LLC. This appointment represents a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to ensure accountability, transparency and measurable impact in how opioid settlement resources are deployed across the nation.

The announcement comes at a pivotal moment. Alabama and states nationwide are preparing to deploy hundreds of millions of dollars in opioid settlement resources, and the need for rigorous oversight, evidence-based strategies and transparent governance has never been more urgent.

From Purdue Pharma to Knoa: A Historic Transformation

Knoa Pharma emerged May 1, 2026, following the conclusion of Purdue Pharma's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Under the $7.4 billion settlement, Purdue Pharma — maker of OxyContin and one of the primary actors responsible for the opioid epidemic — permanently ceased operations. Its manufacturing assets were transferred to Knoa Pharma, a company 100 percent owned by the newly formed Knoa Foundation.

This transformation marks a historic shift in how the pharmaceutical industry is held accountable for its role in the opioid crisis. Purdue aggressively marketed prescription opioids for two decades despite mounting evidence of addiction and overdose deaths. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2019 after facing thousands of lawsuits from states, cities and individuals harmed by the epidemic.

Under the settlement, the Sackler family — Purdue's owners — is permanently barred from selling opioids in the United States and will pay more than $1.5 billion now, followed by additional payments through 2029. Purdue is also paying approximately $900 million. Most settlement funds are expected to be distributed within the first three years.

The settlement involves 55 attorneys general representing all eligible states and territories. Critically, it prohibits Knoa from marketing opioids and requires independent monitoring to ensure medicines are delivered safely and responsibly. Steve Bullock, former governor and attorney general of Montana, will serve as independent monitor.

Leadership That Understands the Crisis

Dr. Gupta brings unparalleled experience to this governance role. He served as Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy from November 2021 to January 2025, becoming the first physician to lead the agency. In that role, he coordinated the nation's $44 billion drug control budget across 19 federal agencies and led efforts credited with expanding access to addiction treatment and making naloxone available over the counter — actions that saved tens of thousands of American lives.

Dr. Rahul Gupta

Helios Alliance Leadership Team member and newly appointed Knoa Foundation trustee brings decades of public health leadership to opioid crisis accountability and oversight.

He currently serves as President of GATC Health, an AI-driven technology company focused on drug discovery, precision medicine and predictive analytics. He previously served as Chief Medical and Health Officer at March of Dimes and as West Virginia's Health Commissioner under two governors, where he led statewide efforts to reduce overdose deaths and strengthen addiction treatment systems.

"Dr. Gupta's appointment to this role represents exactly the kind of leadership the opioid crisis demands — someone who understands the science, the policy and the human cost, and who has demonstrated the ability to translate that understanding into systems that save lives," said Caroline Etherton, chair of The Helios Alliance. "We are proud that he serves on our Leadership Team, and we are confident that his work with the Knoa Foundation will advance the accountability and transparency this moment requires."

The Knoa Foundation Board of Trustees also includes Dr. Paul Rothman, former CEO of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and chair of the Foundation's Board, and David Saltzman, co-founder of The Robin Hood Foundation and the Atria Health and Research Institute.

Settlement Funds Are Flowing — Now Comes the Hard Work

States are already receiving substantial distributions from the Purdue settlement. North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced May 2 that the state will receive nearly $150 million from the Purdue settlement, bringing North Carolina's total opioid settlement funds to $1.6 billion. Similar distributions are underway nationwide.

The question now is not whether resources are available — it's whether they will be deployed strategically, transparently and with the rigor required to achieve sustained impact.

Alabama's Model: From Local Proof of Concept to Statewide Expansion

The Helios Alliance has worked closely with Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall to develop a statewide framework for responsible opioid settlement fund deployment. Through Project Persevere in Mobile and Mobile County, we have demonstrated a data-driven, community-centered model that Marshall has championed for statewide expansion through Project RenewAL.

In March, Marshall and the Alliance announced a partnership to conduct a statewide baseline assessment in collaboration with the Alabama League of Municipalities — work that will inform how settlement resources are allocated across Alabama's cities, counties and communities.

"Alabama was among the hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, and we intend to show the nation what lasting recovery looks like," Attorney General Marshall said in March. "This is a generational opportunity, and it belongs to our local leaders. No one understands this crisis better than the people living it, and no one has a more important role in solving it. The settlement funds are here, and the Helios approach gives our communities the tools to put them to work."

Through Project Persevere, The Helios Alliance coordinates 16 organizations across the full spectrum of opioid response in Mobile and Mobile County, funded through settlement resources in partnership with the City of Mobile and Mobile County. As of March 2026, those programs have served 9,247 individuals, provided 68,625 services and expended $1.4 million in settlement resources — 65 percent of total allocated funds.

We are now working with Attorney General Marshall and the Alabama League of Municipalities to scale that model statewide, ensuring Alabama's settlement resources are deployed with the same rigor, transparency and community engagement that has defined the Mobile approach.

Why This Moment Matters

As Dr. Gupta said in March regarding Alabama's statewide opioid abatement work: "We cannot allow this crisis to fade into yesterday's news. More than 77,000 families a year are still losing someone they love. That reality demands sustained focus, accountability and long-term commitment."

The transformation of Purdue Pharma into Knoa Pharma, overseen by a board that includes leaders like Dr. Gupta, represents one piece of that accountability framework. The deployment of settlement resources through evidence-based, transparently governed initiatives like Project Persevere and Project RenewAL represents another.

Together, these efforts signal a fundamental shift: from crisis response to sustained, strategic investment in the systems and services that save lives.

We are proud to contribute to that work — and proud that Dr. Gupta will bring his expertise, integrity and commitment to this critical governance role.

For more information about The Helios Alliance and Project Persevere, visit theheliosalliance.com. For more information about the Knoa Foundation, visit knoapharma.com.