British pharmaceutical company Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC along with the attorneys general for New York, California, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, and Washington, negotiated a $700 million deal over Suboxone, a drug that helps reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms.
The manufacturer is alleged for illegally marketing Suboxone. Also, according to the attorneys general, the company sent a false petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stating that the manufacturing and selling of Suboxone tablets have been stopped due to safety concerns.
The deal will end six suits from 2010 to 2014 against Reckitt in New Jersey and Virginia federal courts. The deal is part of a $1.4 billion settlement that the company made in July with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to end a probe into the sales and marketing of Suboxone Film.
The $700 million deal consists of $500 million for the federal government and about $200 million for states that opted into the civil agreement. The settlement is considered to be the largest by any drug company involved in the opioid crisis.
The United States Food and Drug Administration released safety warnings regarding opioids in 2017. It also warned about the serious death-related risks associated with opioids. The study conducted by the FDA claimed that the use of opioid results in a damaged nervous system. The research even claimed that opioid addiction should not be left untreated, as it has high risks of side effects.
