Connecticut and New York announce shares in $17B opioid agreements

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.