RALEIGH – Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced that he has secured $720 million nationwide in settlements with eight drug makers that manufactured opioid pills and worsened the nationwide opioid crisis, with North Carolina receiving up to $23 million. Based on the overwhelming participation by Attorneys General across the country, all eight defendants have agreed to proceed with a sign-on period for local governments.
“These companies didn’t do enough to prevent misuse of the addictive opioids they manufactured and helped push us into the nationwide opioid crisis that continues to take lives in North Carolina every day,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “Today’s settlements hold them accountable for hurting the people of our state and give us resources to help people struggling with addiction.”
The eight defendants and the total amount they will pay in funds to address the opioid crisis as part of the deal are:
- Mylan (now part of Viatris): $284,447,916 paid over nine years
- Hikma: $95,818,293 paid over one to four years
- Amneal: $71,751,010 paid over 10 years
- Apotex: $63,682,369 paid in a single year
- Indivior: $38,022,450 paid over four years
- Sun: $30,992,087 paid over one to four years
- Alvogen: $18,680,162 paid in a single year
- Zydus: $14,859,220 paid in a single year
In addition to these abatement payments, several of the settlements allow states to receive free pharmaceutical products or cash in lieu of this product. Additionally, seven of the companies (not including Indivior) are prohibited from promoting or marketing opioids and opioid products, making or selling any product that contains more than 40 mg of oxycodone per pill, and are required to put in place a monitoring and reporting system for suspicious orders. Indivior has agreed to not manufacture or sell opioid products for the next 10 years, but it will be able to continue marketing and selling medications to treat opioid use disorder.
The funds from these settlements will be allocated within North Carolina just like the prior opioid settlements, with 85% going to local governments to address the effects of the opioid crisis. North Carolina counties and large municipalities will need to sign onto these settlements in the next three months in order to maximize the money coming into the state.
The settlements were negotiated by North Carolina, California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia.
###