The city of Baltimore recently inked an $80 million settlement with Teva Pharmaceuticals in a bid to close the books on the city’s claims regarding Teva’s involvement in the local opioid crisis. With the mayor’s office projecting a full payment by mid-2025, Baltimore must collect more than seven times the funds than what was initially offered in the national settlement. In a report by the City of Baltimore Mayor's Office, Mayor Brandon Scott underscored the agreement’s significance, empowering the city to combat the opioid epidemic at its roots further.
This marks the fourth major settlement the city has announced, following agreements with Allergan and CVS of $45 million each and Cardinal Health at a substantial $152.5 million. These accords collectively bring Baltimore’s reimbursement from opioid defendants to $322.5 million – substantially higher than the sum anticipated from all global settlements. Nonetheless, it is with an unwavering spirit that the City seeks to persevere to trial against the remaining defendants on September 16, as the Mayor's Office reported.
Dedicated funds from the settlement have been allocated for various initiatives. Notably, $5 million will support education on the new 988 system, with $3 million going to the Penn North Recovery Center. An additional $2 million is pledged to BMore Power. The larger portion of the funds will be managed following a framework laid out by Mayor Scott in an executive order from late August 2024 detailing the administration of restitution monies for fighting the crisis.
The legal team spearheading Baltimore’s claims, including the City Solicitor Ebony Thompson, commended their internal efforts and the support of outside counsel. The private law firm Susman Godfrey assumed considerable financial risk, allowing Baltimore to reject insufficient national settlements. The team effort strengthens Baltimore's position to tackle the opioid crisis with significant resources at its disposal. The attorneys' names in this pivotal case are public records, as the Mayor's Office acknowledged.
