By Hank Russell
New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office secured a multistate settlement in principle with Mylan Inc. that the pharmaceutical firm will pay up to $335 million over nine years 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.
Based in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Viatris has a portfolio of brand-name, generic and complex medicines across a wide range of therapeutic areas. According to the company, Viatris supplies medicine to approximately one billion patients worldwide and more than 250 of its medicines are on the World Health Organization Essential Medicines List.
“When drug companies put profits over people, innocent patients can get sucked into deadly cycles of addiction and overdoses,” James said. “Mylan deceptively marketed its opioid products as safe, despite knowing they would be abused and sold illegally. While no settlement can fully repair the damage caused by dangerous opioids, these funds will help New York and other states fight the opioid crisis.”
This settlement in principle was negotiated by James and the attorneys general of California, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia in coordination with the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, and Vermont.
Viatris also announced that it settled with the AGs. The company noted that it is also producing a generic form of naloxone, which reverses the effects of an overdose, and developing a novel delivery for meloxicam, a non-opioid pain medication.
“The Company will also continue its longstanding role of working to identify solutions to address pressing public health challenges like those relating to opioids,” Viatris said in a statement. “The settlement enables the Company to further focus on its mission of empowering people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life, advance its efforts to address unmet patient needs through an expanded innovative portfolio and continue to serve approximately 1 billion patients annually with its diverse portfolio of medicines.”