Guam a part of $1.6 billion settlement with generic opioid manufacturer MNK
February 26, 2020, Tamuning, Guam- Attorney General Leevin Taitano Camacho has announced his support for a $1.6 billion settlement framework agreement between attorneys general, local subdivisions, and Mallinckrodt (MNK), its subsidiaries, and certain other affiliates.
“Our office will continue to hold bad actors accountable and push for funding and resources that will help people on our island who are struggling with drug abuse and addiction,” said Attorney General Camacho. “This settlement is just another example of the difference that attorneys general can make in their communities when they work together on issues of national importance.”
MNK is currently the largest generic opioid manufacturer in the United States. In the agreement, MNK agrees to pay $1.6 billion in cash to a trust that will cover the costs of opioid addiction treatment and related efforts, with the potential for increased payment to the trust. MNK also agrees that its future generics opioid business will be subject to stringent injunctive relief that, among other things, will prevent marketing and ensure systems are in place to prevent diversion.
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of Guam is also involved in separate settlement discussions with Purdue Pharmaceutical, maker of the opioid OxyContin. The settlement is valued at upwards of $3 billion, of which Guam will also receive a portion.
Opioids are a family of drugs including prescription painkillers and illegal drugs like heroin. Nationwide, prescription and illegal opioids are the main cause of drug overdose deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in more than 47,600 overdose deaths in 2017. From 1999 to 2017, more than 702,000 people have died from a drug overdose.
Deputy Attorney General Fred Nishihira from the Consumer Protection Division and Assistant Attorneys General Janice Camacho, Marinna Julian and Joseph Perez are handling the matter for the OAG.