Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced a multistate settlement involving pharmaceutical company Mylan Inc., aimed at addressing the ongoing opioid crisis. Mylan, now part of Viatris, agreed to pay up to $335 million nationwide. This settlement addresses allegations that Mylan deceptively promoted its opioid products, such as fentanyl patches and oxycodone, as less prone to abuse while they were actually more susceptible.
The settlement aims to hold Mylan accountable for its role in exacerbating the opioid crisis through direct marketing to doctors, which led to overprescribing and illegal diversion of opioids. Rayfield emphasized the significance of the settlement, stating, "This settlement is not just a financial victory, it’s a reckoning."
Funds from the settlement will be distributed over nine years to participating states. Oregon is set to receive over $4 million, which will be allocated to crisis abatement, treatment, and preventative services as determined by the state's Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Board.
The settlement was achieved through negotiations involving the attorneys general of several states including California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia. Coordination also included the attorneys general from Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, and Vermont.
In acknowledging the efforts behind the settlement, Attorney General Rayfield expressed gratitude to Senior Assistant Attorney General David Hart for leading the case and analyst Adria Decker for her contribution to the settlement's distribution.