Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced a multistate settlement in principle with pharmaceutical company Mylan Inc. that will deliver up to $335 million nationwide to help combat the opioid crisis. Mylan, which is now a part of Viatris, has manufactured and sold a variety of opioids since 2005, including generic fentanyl patches, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and buprenorphine products. The attorneys general allege Mylan deceptively promoted its products as less prone to abuse despite knowing for years that many of its opioid products – particularly its fentanyl patches – were actually more vulnerable to abuse. The company fueled the opioid crisis by marketing directly to doctors, leading to dangerous overprescribing and diversion of its opioids into the illegal drug market.
“Those responsible for fueling the opioid crisis are finally being held to account for their greed-driven actions,” said Attorney General Labrador. “These settlements will never put those lost lives and broken families back together, but hopefully we can avoid the wreckage of future addiction with wisely targeted investments in prevention and treatment throughout Idaho.”
Under the multistate settlement, Mylan will pay up to $335 million to participating states over nine years.
This settlement was negotiated by the attorneys general 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.
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