Montana to receive $2.5 million in opioid settlement with eight drug manufacturers

HELENA — Montana will receive $2.5 million from a settlement with eight opioid drug manufacturers to address their roles in the nation’s opioid epidemic, Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced Friday.

The state’s portion comes from a $720 million national settlement that will be distributed among all 50 states and U.S. territories. Montana plans to use the settlement funds for opioid abatement programs, including opioid use disorder treatment, providing Narcan to emergency responders and first responders, and drug treatment courts for defendants with opioid-related substance abuse problems.

The attorney general’s office has not yet announced how the new settlement funds will be distributed. Previous opioid settlement money has been administered through the Montana Opioid Abatement Trust, which distributes grants to local organizations for prevention, treatment and recovery programs. Missoula County opened applications for $1.1 million in such grants in March.

“As Attorney General, I will continue to hold those who fueled the opioid crisis accountable. Opioids have taken lives and destroyed communities across Montana and the entire country. We will put this money to good use to save lives and stop addiction,” Knudsen said.

Settlement Details

The eight defendants and their respective payment amounts are:

• Mylan (now part of Viatris): $284.4 million paid over nine years
• Hikma: $95.8 million paid over one to four years
• Amneal: $71.8 million paid over 10 years
• Apotex: $63.7 million paid in a single year
• Indivior: $38.0 million paid over four years
• Sun: $31.0 million paid over one to four years
• Alvogen: $18.7 million paid in a single year
• Zydus: $14.9 million paid in a single year

Seven of the companies — excluding Indivior — are prohibited from promoting or marketing opioids and opioid products. They also cannot manufacture or sell any product containing more than 40 mg of oxycodone per pill and must implement monitoring and reporting systems for suspicious orders.

Indivior has agreed to not manufacture or sell opioid products for the next 10 years, though it can continue marketing and selling medications to treat opioid use disorder.

Montana’s Opioid Crisis

The opioid epidemic has led to hundreds of prescription overdose deaths in Montana over the past 20 years, according to the attorney general’s office. These deaths and the impacts on thousands of Montanans who have struggled with opioid addiction have created considerable costs for the state’s health care, child welfare and criminal justice systems.

Beyond the financial damage, the attorney general’s office said opioid addiction, substance use and overdose deaths have torn families apart, damaged relationships and devastated communities.

Previous Settlements

Knudsen has secured multiple opioid settlements since taking office. In January, he announced a $16 million settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family. In November, he announced a $4 million settlement with Kroger.

In September, Knudsen announced a program to place life-saving opioid reversal kits in middle and high schools across Montana.