N.J. could receive nearly $20M from $720M nationwide opioid settlements with eight drugmakers
NEW JERSEY — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Thursday that New Jersey and its subdivisions could receive up to $19.8 million as part of a sweeping $720 million nationwide settlement with eight pharmaceutical companies accused of fueling the opioid crisis.
The agreement comes as a result of a multistate effort involving attorneys general from across the country. The eight companies involved in the settlements include Mylan, Hikma, Amneal, Apotex, Indivior, Sun, Alvogen, and Zydus — all of which either manufactured opioids or contributed to the proliferation of the addictive drugs through their business practices.
“The harms caused by the proliferation of opioids continue to reverberate and New Jersey residents deserve to see these companies held to account,” said Platkin. “We expect state partners to use these funds responsibly to alleviate the suffering in the wake of this manmade substance use disorder epidemic.”
Under the agreements, payments from the companies will be distributed over varying timeframes, ranging from one to 10 years:
- Mylan (now Viatris): $284.4 million over nine years
- Hikma: $95.8 million over one to four years
- Amneal: $71.8 million over 10 years
- Apotex: $63.7 million in one year
- Indivior: $38 million over four years
- Sun: $31 million over one to four years
- Alvogen: $18.7 million in one year
- Zydus: $14.9 million in one year
Beyond financial restitution, the settlements include strict prohibitions on the marketing and promotion of opioid products. The seven companies that currently manufacture opioids will no longer be permitted to market them, nor sell products containing more than 40 milligrams of oxycodone per pill. They must also implement systems to monitor and report suspicious orders.
As part of its agreement, Indivior has committed to not manufacture or sell opioids for at least the next 10 years, though it will be allowed to continue offering medications used to treat opioid use disorder.
Some states may also receive free doses of medication-assisted treatment or cash equivalents under the settlements.
The sign-on period for local governments is now underway, marking the next step in distributing the funds to communities impacted by the opioid epidemic.
