The agreement, announced on Friday, resolves claims that the company engaged in anticompetitive practices. By agreeing to the settlement, Indivior avoids a trial that was scheduled for later this year.
Indivior, the pharmaceutical company responsible for manufacturing the opioid addiction treatment drug Suboxone, has reached a settlement of $102.5 million with 41 states and the District of Columbia
The lawsuit, spearheaded by Wisconsin, alleged that Indivior, formerly a subsidiary of Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, made minor alterations to Suboxone in order to prolong patent protection and prevent generic versions of the drug from entering the market. Suboxone, which contains buprenorphine and naloxone, is a well-known treatment for opioid addiction.
This case differs from others targeting opioid manufacturers, where governments accused them of contributing to the nationwide overdose crisis. Those lawsuits have led to settlements exceeding $50 billion to date. As part of the settlement with Indivior, the company has agreed to inform the states whenever it makes modifications to the product or undergoes changes in corporate control.
Indivior released a statement expressing its intention to concentrate on its mission, now that the lawsuit has been resolved
In a separate agreement in 2019, Reckitt Benckiser agreed to pay $1.4 billion to the federal government to settle potential criminal and civil liabilities related to its Suboxone business.
The attorneys general from the following states are among those involved in the settlement: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
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