Indiana secures $16.5M in nationwide opioid settlement

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has secured $720 million nationwide in settlements with eight drug makers that manufacture opioid pills, according to a press release. Indiana is expected to receive $16.5 million from the settlements.

According to Rokita, the eight drug manufacturers—Alvogen, Amneal, Apotex, Hikma, Indivior, Mylan (now part of Viatris), Sun and Zydus— have played roles in worsening the opioid crisis that has impacted communities across Indiana and the entire nation.

“Thousands of Hoosiers have lost their lives as a result of the opioid crisis,” Attorney General Rokita said. “We can never undo that tragic loss of life, but we can hold accountable those responsible for contributing to the situations culminating in these deaths. That’s what these settlements are all about, and I’m proud of the work of our team.” 

The terms of the settlements vary, according to Rokita. Some of the companies will remit payments to states annually over the next couple of years, while others will pay the obligation in a single year.

Seven of the eight companies are also subject to suspicious order monitoring requirements. Indivior is not included in these monitoring requirements because “the company primarily manufactures opioid use disorder treatments, not opioids, and has agreed not to manufacture or sell any opioid products for the next 10 years,” according to a press release.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, each of the settlements includes injunctive relief terms, namely:

• The companies are prohibited from engaging in the promotion of opioids or opioids products.
• The companies cannot provide financial rewards or impose discipline on employees based on the volume of opioids sold.
• The companies cannot manufacture, promote, or distribute any product containing more than 40 mg of oxycodone per pill and cannot in most circumstances offer discounts, coupons, or rebates for opioid products.
• Finally, the companies cannot provide funding or grants to third parties for the promotion of opioid products and cannot engage in any lobbying activity related to opioids.

This is the 11th opioid settlement Rokita has secured since taking office in January of 2021. Since then, Indiana has brought in $1.1 billion in opioid settlements.