Attorney General Alan Wilson announced a nationwide settlement involving eight opioid drug manufacturers, totaling approximately $720 million. This agreement aims to address the ongoing opioid crisis that has impacted many families across the United States. South Carolina is expected to receive up to $10 million from these settlements.
“The opioid epidemic has devastated tens of thousands of families in South Carolina and across the country, and we’ve been working for years to hold the companies responsible for it accountable,” stated Attorney General Wilson. “The money from these settlements, along with other settlements we’ve announced before, will go toward opioid treatment programs and efforts to prevent future victims of opioid addiction.”
The settlement involves eight defendants who have agreed to provide funds as part of efforts to mitigate the effects of the crisis. The total amount mentioned represents the maximum possible if states receive all abatement payments and opt for cash instead of pharmaceutical products intended for medication-assisted treatment.
In addition to financial compensation, several settlements include provisions allowing states to choose between free pharmaceutical products or cash equivalents. Furthermore, seven companies are now restricted from promoting or marketing opioids and are prohibited from making or selling any product containing more than 40 mg of oxycodone per pill. These companies must also establish a system for monitoring suspicious orders.
Indivior, one of the defendants, has committed not to manufacture or sell opioid products over the next decade but will continue marketing medications designed for treating opioid use disorder.
Negotiations leading to these settlements were carried out by attorneys general from North Carolina, California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia.
