Indivior, a North Chesterfield, Virginia-based drug manufacturer, has reached an $86 million settlement with 16 states over its alleged role in the opioid addiction crisis, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James. The settlement concerns Indivior's manufacturing of buprenorphine-based products, such as Sublocade and Suboxone.

The company was accused of improperly targeting sales to doctors running pill mills and failing to monitor suspicious orders, leading to inappropriate prescriptions. Attorney General James stated that the $86 million will be used over 5 years for opioid addiction treatment, recovery, and prevention.

Indivior had previously set aside $75 million for an expected settlement, reflecting the net present value of the payout. However, a final settlement must still be negotiated. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than 800,000 people in the United States died of opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2023.

Indivior remains a defendant in over 400 civil lawsuits accusing manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of ignoring red flags about how opioids have been prescribed and used, as well as marketing them improperly as a safe means to treat chronic pain.

The settlement was negotiated by the offices of the attorneys general of New York, Illinois, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia. The states of California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, and Vermont were also involved in the settlement.