Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha Monday announced settlements with the drug manufacturers Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Allergan for their contribution to the state’s opioid epidemic. The trial would have begun Monday. The lawsuit involved claims of public nuisance, fraud and fraudulent misrepresentation, negligence and unjust enrichment.

The settlement includes $28.5 million in cash between Teva and Allergan. In addition, the settlement consists of 1 million Naloxone sprays and 67,000 bottles of the addiction treatment drug Suboxone. Naloxone spray can reverse the fatal effects of a drug overdose. The total value of the settlement is around $107 million.

Neronha stated, “While no amount of money will ever be enough to undo the harm suffered by Rhode Islanders throughout the ongoing opioid epidemic, these additional recoveries will further support public health efforts to respond to the challenges brought on by this epidemic.” Rhode Island settled a case against McKinsey & Co. for $2.59 million in February of 2021 for the firm’s role in helping pharmaceutical companies promote their drugs and profit from the opioid epidemic.

This lawsuit is one of several recent state claims against pharmaceutical manufacturers for damages caused by the opioid epidemic. A New York jury held Teva liable for opioid damages in New York in December of 2021. Earlier this year, Endo International settled a Florida opioid lawsuit for $65 million.

The CDC estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States during the year leading up to April 2021.