Connecticut could receive up to $8.4 million from eight opioid manufacturers as part of several multistate settlements, according to Attorney General William Tong.
“The allegations against each of them are obviously different in their own ways, but they’re a part of this overall problem and conspiracy that continues to kill thousands and thousands of people across our country,” Tong said at a press conference on Thursday, July 10.
The eight manufacturers are: Mylan, which is now a part of Viatris; Hikma; Amneal, Apotex; Indivior; Sun; Alvogen; and Zydus.
The eight manufacturers, who have not admitted wrongdoing, will collectively pay $720 million over 10 years, according to Tong.
Per the terms of the settlement agreements, the companies—except for Indivior—cannot promote or market opioids and opioid products, and they can no longer make or sell products that have more than 40 mg of oxycodone per pill. They are also required to create a monitoring and reporting system for suspicious orders.
Indivior agreed to not manufacture or sell opioids for 10 years, but it can still market and sell medications that treat opioid use disorder.
“They knew that these drugs are highly addictive, they knew that their products were being over-prescribed, over-sold, that communities that received their products were generating, receiving much more opioids than these communities could ever hope to consume by the people living in those communities,” Tong said. “They were a part of… the aggressive marketing of this medication, pushing these pills on people so ever more people would get the now-notorious bottle of way too much oxycodone.”
Whatever money Connecticut receives will go toward treatment and prevention programs in the state, Tong said. Connecticut has already secured around $600 million through settlements with opioid manufacturers and marketing companies since 2019.
Last month, Connecticut and 55 other states and U.S. territories made a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma. Connecticut is set to receive $64 million from that settlement alone.
“Thus far, the Connecticut Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee has passed 19 funding recommendations totaling just over $110 million, which has included immediate needs for harm reduction, prevention, and the naloxone saturation plan, but also longer-term investments in mobile opioid treatment vans and $58 million committed to an extensive Housing as Recovery plan,” Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Commissioner Nancy Navarretta said in a press release from Tong’s office. “These investments, as well as many others, would not have been possible without these settlement funds and while we saw a 26% decline in overdose deaths in 2024, there is still more work to do and these new settlements will make a tangible difference in the lives of many.”
Tong expects there to be more settlements with pharmaceutical companies in the future.
“This is about long-term treatment and recovery,” Tong said. “This is about walking this walk with people who are suffering and their families for the rest of their lives and so that’s why it’s important that we stay at it and continue to bring much needed resources to Connecticut.”
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