Hawaiʻi could receive up to $2.4M in nationwide opioid settlement

Hawaiʻi could receive up to $2.4 million as part of a $720 million nationwide settlement with eight drug manufacturers over their role in the opioid crisis, Attorney General Anne Lopez announced Thursday.

“This settlement marks a critical step in holding opioid manufacturers accountable for role they played in fueling the opioid epidemic,” said Deputy Attorney General Christopher Han with the Department of the Attorney General’s Commerce and Economic Development Division. “While no amount of money can undo the harm, this agreement would bring funding for much-needed resources to support addiction treatment, recovery services and prevention efforts.”  

The settlement includes the following drug companies and payment totals:

• Mylan (now part of Viatris): $284.4 million over nine years
• Hikma: $95.8 million over one to four years
• Amneal: $71.8 million over 10 years
• Apotex: $63.7 million in a single year
• Indivior: $38 million over four years
• Sun: $31 million over one to four years
• Alvogen: $18.7 million in a single year
• Zydus: $14.9 million in a single year

Seven of the companies (not including Indivior) are prohibited from promoting or marketing opioids and opioid products, making or selling any product that contains more than 40 mg of oxycodone per pill, and are required to put in place a monitoring and reporting system for suspicious orders. Indivior has agreed to not manufacture or sell opioid products for the next 10 years, but it will be able to continue marketing and selling medications to treat opioid use disorder.