Mylan Pays $335M for Role in Opioid Crisis

NEW YORK – The vultures are circling at Mylan Inc. (now part of Viatris) after New York Attorney General Letitia James landed a crippling blow: a multistate settlement in principle forcing the pharmaceutical giant to cough up a potential $335 million. The charge? Deceptively fueling the opioid crisis with a relentless push of highly addictive drugs, prioritizing profit over human lives.

Attorney General James alleges that since 2005, Mylan manufactured and peddled a range of opioids – generic fentanyl patches, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and buprenorphine – while knowing full well their dangerous potential. The claim isn’t just about selling the drugs, it’s about *how* they were sold. Mylan allegedly peddled a false narrative that their products were less susceptible to abuse, a blatant lie that directly contributed to the epidemic ravaging communities across the nation. The company targeted doctors with aggressive marketing, resulting in rampant overprescribing and a flood of opioids hitting the black market.

“When drug companies put profits over people, innocent patients can get sucked into deadly cycles of addiction and overdoses,” Attorney General James stated bluntly. “Mylan deceptively marketed its opioid products as safe, despite knowing they would be abused and sold illegally. While no settlement can fully repair the damage caused by dangerous opioids, these funds will help New York and other states fight the opioid crisis.” The settlement, negotiated alongside Attorneys General from California, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia, will see Mylan distribute up to $335 million to participating states over the next nine years.

This isn’t James’ first rodeo. She’s been relentlessly pursuing those responsible for the opioid carnage, racking up over $3 billion in settlements from companies like Purdue, Indivior, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Mallinckrodt, Allergan, Endo, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and Amerisource Bergen. She’s also brought down settlements with CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart for failing to adequately monitor opioid prescriptions, and has targeted consultants like McKinsey & Company and Publicis Health for their roles in the scheme.

The investigation and subsequent settlement were spearheaded by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy, Special Counsel Monica Hanna, and Assistant Attorney General Matthew Conrad, of the Executive Division, with crucial data analysis from Research and Analytics Department’s Ken Morales. This case, like so many others, lays bare the cynical calculus of Big Pharma: maximize profits, minimize accountability, and leave the wreckage for taxpayers to clean up.

While the money won’t bring back the lives lost, it represents a small victory in a long and brutal war. The funds are earmarked for opioid abatement, treatment, and prevention efforts, offering a glimmer of hope to communities desperately struggling to stem the tide of addiction and overdose. But the fight is far from over. The Grimy Times will continue to expose the corporations and individuals who profit from human misery.