Oregon Will Share a $335 Million Multi-State Settlement From a Pharmaceutical Company That Fueled the Opioid Crisis

Oregon will receive more than $4 million of a $335 million multi-state settlement with a pharmaceutical company that fueled the opioid crisis, according to a news release from the Oregon Department of Justice.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced yesterday that the settlement in principle is with the pharmaceutical company, Mylan Inc, which makes opioids such as generic fentanyl patches, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and buprenorphine.

The Fentanyl Patches Were Vulnerable to Abuse

The AGs from 15 states filed a lawsuit against the company for promoting its products as less prone to abuse in the knowledge that its opioids, particularly its fentanyl patches, were vulnerable to abuse.

The AGs alleged that the company fueled the opioid crisis by marketing its products directly to doctors which led to oversubscribing and diversion of its opioids into the illegal drug market.

The $335 million settlement is a ‘fierce reminder that those who profited from the devastation of the opioid crisis will be held accountable,’ says Oregon AG, Rayfield.

The funding initiatives identified by the state include the Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Board, as well as counties and cities for treatment, recovery, and prevention services.

Apart from Oregon, the settlement in principle was negotiated by the AGs of California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia in coordination with the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, and Vermont.