Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and his New York counterpart Letitia James have announced their respective states signed off on the final approval of $17.3 billion in opioid agreements with drug makers Teva Pharmaceuticals and Allergan and the pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens.
Under the terms of the agreement, Connecticut will receive more than $200 million and New York will receive over $1 billion.
“One by one we are taking on every player in the addiction industry and recovering billions of dollars nationwide to save lives and fight the opioid epidemic,” said Tong. “With these latest settlements, we have secured $600 million for Connecticut alone and more than $50 billion nationwide. But it is not just about the money””we are forcing these companies to adhere to strict reforms to stop the deadly flood of opioids into our communities.”
“No amount of money will bring back the lives lost to opioids, but these funds will help heal New York,” said James. “For years, Teva, CVS, and Walgreens peddled deadly opioids and today”™s historic agreements hold these companies accountable for their role in this public health crisis. These funds will help with opioid abatement, education, and treatment efforts in our communities.”
A final agreement between the states and Walmart was not part of the announcement but is anticipated in the coming weeks.
