New York is part of a $335 million multistate settlement with a spin-off company of the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer for its role in the opioid epidemic over the last twenty years.
The leaders of Mylan, Inc., now known as Viatris, have agreed to pay the sum as part of an investigation into the company’s manufacture and sale of opioids dating back to 2005. The company knowingly marketed its drugs, including fentanyl, oxycodone and buprenorphine products, as less addictive than they were, the attorneys general allege.
The sum, which will be divided among multiple states, is the latest in the ongoing drip into New York’s opioid settlement fund, which has spent hundreds of millions on state and local abatement measures. The settlement was negotiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James but must still be agreed to by other states involved in the case. The money will be paid out to states over nine years but the total coming to New York has not been released, according to James’ office.
Mylan became Viatris when it merged with Upjohn, a Pfizer subsidiary, in 2020. The company was jointly owned by Mylan and Pfizer shareholders after the deal. The attorneys general allege the company marketed directly to physicians, leading to a practice of overprescribing that allowed patients to become addicted and the drugs to fall into the illegal market.
The attorney general’s office has recovered approximately $8 billion from major pharmaceutical companies since 2019. The money has gone to the state, city and county coffers for drug abatement, prevention and treatment. The state and counties distribute more than $100 million a year in settlement funds to support those programs.
The settlement followed an investigation and was negotiated without a lawsuit, which can happen when the attorney general’s office presents its findings and works out an agreement without a complaint.
