Attorney General Dan Rayfield today announced a multistate settlement in principle with pharmaceutical company Mylan Inc. (Mylan) that will deliver up to $335 million 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.
“This settlement is not just a financial victory, it’s a reckoning,” Rayfield said. “It’s a fierce reminder that those who profited from the devastation of the opioid crisis will be held accountable. This money will go directly to helping those impacted by addiction and providing real solutions for recovery.”
Under the multistate settlement in principle, Mylan will pay up to $335 million to participating states over nine years. Oregon will receive more than $4 million from the settlement, which will be used for opioid crisis abatement, funding initiatives identified by the state Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Board, as well as going directly to Oregon counties and cities for treatment, recovery, and prevention services.
This settlement in principle was negotiated by the attorneys general of California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia in coordination with the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, and Vermont.
Attorney General Rayfield thanks Senior Assistant Attorney General David Hart for taking the lead on this case, and analyst Adria Decker for assisting with the distribution of the settlement.
