States Seek Billions in Settlement over Opioid Crisis
State Attorneys General are trying to hold drugmakers to account for the opioid crisis (stock image courtesy: Pixabay/Steve Bussinine)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana Attorney General Curtis Hill says a proposed $1.6 billion settlement with drugmaker Mallinckrodt is an important step toward providing relief to Hoosiers hurt by the opioid crisis.
Hill says he supports the framework of a settlement between state attorneys general and MNK, which is one of the largest manufacturers in the U.S. of the addictive drug.
The agreement is intended to settle opioid-related claims against the company.
According the Indiana Attorney General’s office, MNK agrees to put $1.6 billion into a trust that would cover the costs of opioid addiction treatment and related efforts, with the potential for increased payment to the trust.
“Opioid manufacturers and distributors must be held accountable for their roles in this crisis, which has led to deadly consequences,” Hill said.
In a separate case, Hill filed suit last fall against three primary distributors of opioids: Cardinal Health, McKesson Corp. and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp.
Last week, a group of state attorneys general rejected a proposed $18 billion settlement presented by the three companies to resolve lawsuits over their alleged role in the opioid crisis.
The Wall Street Journal reports the attorneys general are seeking a settlement ranging from $22-$32 billion.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in more than 47,600 overdose deaths in 2017. From 1999 to 2017, more than 702,000 people died from a drug overdose.