South Carolina – Attorney General Alan Wilson announced a big legal victory in the fight against the opioid crisis. South Carolina will get up to $10 million from a $720 million nationwide settlement. Eight pharmaceutical companies are involved in the settlement. They are accused of making and selling addictive painkillers that helped the opioid epidemic get worse.
The announcement is the next step in years of legal work to make drug companies pay for the damage opioids have done. Wilson said that this new agreement is a step toward getting justice for families in South Carolina who have lost loved ones, been addicted, or had other problems because these narcotics have proliferated without control.
“The opioid epidemic has devastated tens of thousands of families in South Carolina and across the country, and we’ve been working for years to hold the companies responsible for it accountable,” said Attorney General Wilson. “The money from these settlements, along with other settlements we’ve announced before, will go toward opioid treatment programs and efforts to prevent future victims of opioid addiction.”
Read also: South Carolina AG Alan Wilson announces $21 million Medicaid fraud bust tied to multi-state scam
According to the settlement, each corporation will pay a different amount over a different amount of time. Mylan, which is now part of Viatris, has promised to pay the most money—over $284 million—over the course of nine years. Hikma ($95.8 million over up to four years), Amneal ($71.7 million over 10 years), and Apotex ($63.6 million in a single payment) are significant contributors. The other companies—Indivior, Sun, Alvogen, and Zydus—will also give tens of millions, either all at once or over agreed period of time.
Read also: South Carolina AG Alan Wilson celebrates Violent Crimes Case Reduction Unit first trial conviction
In addition to the money conditions, the agreement has key rules that are meant to keep things from getting worse in the future. All companies except Indivior, are now not allowed to promote or sell opioids, make high-dose oxycodone pills (more than 40 mg), and must set up systems to keep an eye on and report suspicious orders. Indivior has agreed to stop making and selling opioid medications for ten years, but it will still be able to provide therapies for opioid addiction.
Attorneys general from North Carolina, California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia all took part in the negotiations for this latest multi-state settlement. The fact that so many people are working together shows that there is more support for using lawsuits and legislative changes to deal with the core causes of the opioid crisis.
Read also: Duke Energy seeks electric rates raise for 680,000 South Carolina customers starting March 2026
As local governments sign up to get their share of the money, South Carolina officials are getting ready to use their share to support programs that help people recover, get treatment, and prevent addiction in the community. These are important steps in restoring lives and stopping addiction in future generations.
