On April 7, 2025, it was announced that Attorney General Jeff Jackson has reached a settlement in principle worth up to $335 million nationally with pharmaceutical company Mylan Inc. This settlement addresses Mylan's role in fueling the opioid crisis. North Carolina is set to receive up to $9 million from this agreement. The funds will be allocated to the state and local governments to aid in the fight against the opioid crisis, as outlined in North Carolina’s Memorandum of Agreement.
“Mylan knew how addictive their opioid products were and misled the American people for years, worsening the opioid crisis, fueling the fentanyl crisis, and killing North Carolinians,” Attorney General Jeff Jackson stated. “This settlement makes them pay and delivers millions of dollars to our state, giving North Carolina more resources to fight this epidemic. I’m thankful for the work of NCDOJ attorneys in securing this funding.”
The controversy stems from Mylan's claims that their opioid products—such as generic fentanyl patches, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and buprenorphine—were less addictive. These claims allegedly led to overprescribing and an illegal drug trade, significantly contributing to the opioid crisis. It is argued that Mylan deceptively advertised these products as having a lower likelihood of abuse, despite evidence to the contrary.
The multistate settlement requires Mylan to pay up to $335 million over a period of nine years to participating states. This settlement is part of a broader effort by the NCDOJ, which has secured about $1.6 billion in total opioid settlement funds for North Carolina. Of this, approximately $1.3 billion is earmarked for local governments. The Community Opioid Resources Engine (CORE-NC) provides transparency on the use of these funds, detailing payment schedules, spending plans, and annual narratives for each local government.
Attorney General Jackson collaborated on this settlement with his counterparts from California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia.