Big Pharma pays up: Utah to get millions in opioid settlement

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Utah will receive $8.8 million from a settlement with national opioid manufacturers.
Attorney General Derek Brown emphasized the settlement's role in community healing and justice for victims.
Settlement funds will go toward combatting the opioid crisis and community support.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah and eight other states secured a national settlement against some of the nation's largest opioid manufacturers, announced Thursday. Approximately $720 million will be distributed across the states, with Utah expected to receive up to $8.8 million according to a press release shared with the Deseret News by the Utah Attorney General's Office.

"The opioid epidemic has stolen the lives of too many Utahns and done immense damage to our communities. Today's settlement brings in millions of dollars to help Utah heal from this epidemic and ensures families see the justice they deserve," Attorney General Derek Brown said. "We will continue to work to hold accountable those who harm Utahns."

The eight defendants in the case were accused of spreading and, therefore, exacerbating the nationwide opioid crisis. In 2023 alone, 74,702 deaths were caused by synthetic opioids in the U.S., and 76,226 estimated deaths in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The states involved in the negotiations were Utah, North Carolina, California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Tennessee and Virginia.

The press release shared the eight companies and the compensation they are required to provide:

Mylan (now part of Viatris): $284,447,916 paid over nine years.
Hikma: $95,818,293 paid over one to four years.
Amneal: $71,751,010 paid over 10 years.
Apotex: $63,682,369 paid in a single year.
Indivior: $38,022,450 paid over four years.
Sun: $30,992,087 paid over one to four years.
Alvogen: $18,680,162 paid in a single year.
Zydus: $14,859,220 paid in a single year.

Seven companies are prohibited from advertising their opioid products that contain more than 40 milligrams of oxycodone per pill. They must also establish a system to monitor unusual orders. Indivior has agreed to refrain from producing or selling opioid products for the next 10 years but is still permitted to market and sell medications for opioid use disorder, per the press release.

"These settlements are monumental in holding drug manufacturers accountable for their role in the opioid crisis that has devastated communities across Utah," Margaret Wooley Busse, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce, said. "Our Division of Consumer Protection is dedicated to protecting consumers and ensuring settlement funds combat the opioid epidemic and support those affected."

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