The company, one of the country's biggest manufacturers of generic opioids, announced a settlement in principle with some 2,500 local governments, states and tribes over the company's role in the deadly, ongoing Opioid Epidemic.
The deal, worth up to $4.25 billion, came after a series of trials and settlements in individual cases across the country.
During the peak years of the crisis, Teva, an Israeli company, and its affiliates produced more prescription drugs than Johnson & Johnson did. Its production of both generic and branded painkillers was much higher than that of Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, which has been linked to overdoses and deaths.
Under the deal, Teva would make payouts over 13 years to state, local and tribal programs to help with the opiate crisis. As trials got underway in San Francisco, as well as in Florida, West Virginia, Texas, Louisiana and Rhode Island, the company had already struck more than 500 million dollars worth of settlements.
It is possible for states and communities to accept part of their payouts in overdose reversal medication.
Understand how the drug affects you. Fentanyl is a drug that is very addictive. It is easy to overdose on a small amount. There is only a short time to save a person's life during an overdose with Fentanyl.
Don't go to unlicensed pharmacy. Fentanyl is found in many prescription drugs sold online or by unlicensed dealers. Only pills that were prescribed by your doctor are allowed to be taken.
You should talk to your friends and family. Fentanyl use can be prevented by educating your loved ones about it. Fentanyl can be found in pills purchased online or from friends. The aim is to establish an ongoing dialogue in short spurts.
You can learn how to spot overdoses. When someone overdoses on Fentanyl, their skin becomes bluish. Call the emergency number if you think someone is abusing drugs. If you are concerned that a loved one could be exposed to Fentanyl, you may want to buy Narcan, a medicine that can reverse an overdose in a matter of minutes.
Representatives for a number of state attorneys general negotiated the deal. The attorney general of Iowa, whose office was involved in the negotiations, said in a statement that those responsible for this tragic issue will be held accountable.
While the agreement will include no admission of wrongdoing, it remains in our best interests to put these cases behind us and focus on the patients we serve.
The lawyers who brought the cases against the company will get about 10 to 12 percent of the money.
Actavis is a unit of Allergan. Allergan needs to reach a settlement with these people. Lawyers familiar with the negotiations said they were expecting that announcement soon.
State, local and tribal governments must vote in favor of the deal.
Lawyers on an executive committee negotiating for local governments urged everyone to support the hard-won deal: "We encourage all these groups to sign onto this agreement to allow these resources to get into the hands of those who need them as quickly as possible."
New York, along with Nassau and Suffolk counties, which prevailed against Teva in a civil jury trial last December, have yet to sign on. A spokeswoman for the New York attorney general's office said that the state is still in talks with the company.
It has taken a long time for the states, tribes and municipalities to bring cases against it. Makers of generic drugs don't make sales calls to doctors, even though they've been associated with misleading marketing of their branded drugs. According to the company, it did not market its product to doctors.
There was a small amount of cash in one of the initial settlements. While Johnson & Johnson and the three drug distributors that also participated in that initial offer struck a deal two years later, Teva continued to fight.
In December 2020, the Senate Finance Committee released findings that were critical of Teva, among other manufacturers, for the millions of dollars it paid to tax-exempt groups that lobby lawmakers and others. According to the trial transcript, the defendants ignored red flags such as outsized pill orders.
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