(The Center Square) – New Hampshire is receiving $33 million from a new multistate settlement with two opioid manufacturers to resolve claims they helped fuel a wave of addiction.
The deal will require drug makers Teva and Allergan to pay more than $6.6 billion over the next seven to 13 years to settle lawsuits filed by states and local governments claiming that they contributed to a wave of addiction.
New Hampshire’s $33 million will be shared with cities and towns, according to Attorney General John Formella’s office.
Gov. Chris Sununu said the settlement funds won’t undo the “devastating effects” opioids have had on the Granite State, but will help officials continue to confront the crisis “head on” with more money for treatment and prevention.
“This settlement helps hold these companies accountable for their role in contributing to the opioid epidemic and will provide Granite Staters struggling with opioid addiction the services they need to recover,” he said in a statement.
In the legal challenge, the states claimed the Israel-based Teva, used deceptive marketing to promote prescription opioids approved to treat cancer pain for non-cancer purposes. The states argued the firm downplayed the risks of opioid addiction, and pushed physicians to increase doses they prescribed.
The settlement is the latest litigation against the nation’s largest drug manufacturers and distributors for their role in the opioid crisis.
Like most states, New Hampshire has struggled with a wave of opioid addiction that public health officials say has been exacerbated by the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, there were 417 confirmed opioid related deaths, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. More than 3,000 New Hampshire residents have died of opioid overdoses since 2014, according to the agency.
To cover the costs of treatment and prevention efforts, the state has amassed a sizable amount of money through multi-state settlements with opioid makers and distributors. The funds are being deposited in a state-run trust fund.
In September, Formella’s office announced the state was slated to receive $450 million from a settlement with Ireland-based drugmaker Endo to resolve allegations the company increased opioid sales using deceptive marketing practices.
The state will also be receiving an estimated $46 million under a revised $6 billion settlement between states and local governments, and OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family.
Another $115 million will be coming to the state over the next 18 years under a recent settlement with McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen over their alleged role in distributing prescription opioids across the state.
Formella said the settlements will provide much-needed money to help address the opioid crisis, but will also require opioid companies to “make changes to reduce the risk of addicting patients.”
“We held Teva and Allergan accountable for deceptively marketing opioids and failing to maintain effective controls to prevent diversion,” he said in a statement. “And we will continue to ensure victims of this epidemic receive the help they need.”
