New York Attorney General Letitia James reached an $86 million multistate settlement in principle with opioid manufacturer Indivior for its role in driving the spread of deadly opioid addictions across New York and the country. Indivior produced buprenorphine-based products to treat opioid use disorder, which can feed opioid addictions when abused and cause further harm. As James and a coalition of attorneys general alleged, Indivior inappropriately targeted its sales to dangerous prescribers – including doctors running pill mills. Indivior also failed to monitor suspicious orders, causing its products to be inappropriately prescribed and used to fuel, rather than treat, opioid addictions.
“When companies like Indivior exploit those in the thralls of addiction for profit, their behavior must be stopped,” James said. “As a result of our work to hold Indivior accountable, they will end their destructive practices and provide new resources to invest in opioid addiction treatment, prevention, and education that will help save lives in New York. I will continue to ensure the companies that profited from this addiction crisis pay for the harm they perpetuated.”
The money, which will be distributed over a five-year period to the participating states, will be used for opioid addiction treatment, recovery, and prevention programs.
The settlement in principle was negotiated by James and the attorneys general of Illinois, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia in coordination with an executive committee consisting of the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, and Vermont.