(The Center Square) — Another multi-state settlement with a drug company will send a payout to Pennsylvania, but it won’t be used for opioid-related spending.
According to the state Attorney General’s office, the $102.5 million settlement with Invidior, the manufacturer of the anti-opioid addiction medication Suboxone, will net Pennsylvania $4.63 million to settle claims over monopoly practices.
Pennsylvania was one of 42 states involved in the lawsuit that started in 2016. At the discretion of the attorney general, the money will go toward payment for attorneys’ fees and expenses, antitrust or consumer protection law enforcement, or go into funds for consumer protection and antitrust actions. The settlement also grants discretion to state attorneys general to use the money as they deem fit.
Neighboring states also received payouts: $5.7 million in New York, $1.5 million in West Virginia, $2 million in Maryland, and $5.9 million in Ohio.
Pharmaceutical-related settlements are bringing significant amounts of funding into the commonwealth. Pennsylvania will receive $1.08 billion over the next 18 years through the opioid settlement trust, with almost $150 million in expected payouts next year.
Invidior has seen a number of settlements requiring payouts; in August, it reached a $30 million settlement with health plans for illegally suppressing generic competition for Suboxone. Suboxone is used as medication assisted treatment for opioid addiction in state prisons and some county jails; its use is supported by the federal government and has been promoted by state lawmakers as crucial for dealing with the opioid crisis.
