Attorney General Kwame Raoul has secured a hefty $150 million deal with opioid giant Hikma Pharmaceuticals in a bid to address the company's part in the ongoing opioid crisis sweeping the nation. This agreement struck with a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, aims to resolve allegations that the drug manufacturer was lax in monitoring suspect orders that could have been illegal, details the Illinois Attorney General's Office. It's part of a wider crackdown against the opioid industry, with Illinois anticipating over $1.3 billion in settlement funds earmarked for the next decade and a half.
Hikma, responsible for churning out both generic and branded opioids by the millions, has been under fire for allegedly ignoring red flags from 2006 to 2021. According to the allegations, its oversight systems were insufficient and frequently failed, an issue known to company personnel, as outlined in a statement from the Illinois Attorney General's office. The settlement includes $115 million in cash, and $35 million worth of addiction treatment medication to placate the states and communities left grappling with the epidemic.
Attorney General Raoul had choice words about the issue, remarking, "Too many families have lost loved ones to the opioid epidemic, and too many people have lost years of their lives to addiction." He firmly believes that the companies behind the crisis must be held liable, not just in words but also in providing the means for treatment and recovery. This settlement, as Raoul puts it, "builds on the important progress we've already achieved through settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors."
This is not Raoul's first rodeo in holding drug companies accountable. His office has been actively pushing against deceptive marketing practices that have been fueling the opioid usage spike. With the Hikma settlement expected to be finalized soon, the Illinois funds will follow an already established allocation agreement, negotiated by Raoul's team. This collaborative effort was steered by a group of attorneys general from states including New York, California, Delaware, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia, backed by an executive committee that Raoul was part of, alongside Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oregon representatives.
With the settlement pending finalization, Illinois is looking at a direct stream of resources to battle the consequences of opioid abuse. In the interim, Raoul has a message for those affected by addiction: seek help. He promotes the Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances, a 24/7 service reached at 833-2FINDHELP, aiming to provide support to individuals caught in the grip of opioid addiction.
