Attorney general announces opioid settlement funds

Oct. 14—The amounts coming to two area counties from statewide settlements with manufacturers of opioid drugs were announced Wednesday.

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday continued her statewide "HealNY" tour of the state with stops in Binghamton and Ithaca, where she announced that she will deliver as much as $26.7 million to the Southern Tier to combat the opioid epidemic.

The funds come from settlements James has negotiated following her March 2019 lawsuit against the various manufacturers and distributors responsible for the opioid crisis, according to a media release from James' office. As much as $1.5 billion in funds will go to counties across New York, the release said.

"The Southern Tier has sadly seen the deadly and addictive side of the opioid crisis for the last two decades, but, today, we are beginning the process of healing New York by announcing that we will provide the region with up to $26.7 million to invest in opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery programs," James said. "While no amount of money can ever make up for all those we have lost, these funds can help the Southern Tier turn the tide on this epidemic and prevent future devastation."

Locally, Chenango and Delaware counties are within the designated Southern Tier area. Chenango County will receive $446,279.32 to $770,596.11, while Delaware County will get $474,698.24 to $819,667.41, according to the release.

The manufacturers named in James' 2019 lawsuit included Purdue Pharma and its affiliates, as well as members of the Sackler Family (owners of Purdue) and trusts they control; Janssen Pharmaceuticals and its affiliates (including its parent company Johnson & Johnson); Mallinckrodt LLC and its affiliates; Endo Health Solutions and its affiliates; Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. and its affiliates; and Allergan Finance, LLC and its affiliates. The distributors named in the complaint were McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc., Amerisource Bergen Drug Corporation and Rochester Drug Cooperative Inc.

Some entities have settled their cases. The cases against Mallinckrodt and Rochester Drug Cooperative are now moving separately through U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The trial against Teva Pharmaceuticals USA and Allergan Finance is currently underway and continues in state court, the release said.

Pursuant to the new law establishing the opioid settlement fund, all funds collected by the state from opioid settlements or litigation victories will be allocated specifically for abatement efforts in communities affected by the opioid epidemic and will not go towards the state's general fund.