Maryland to Receive $13 Million from Seven Opioid Manufacturers in Latest Settlement
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announces $13 million settlement with Alvogen, Amneal, Apotex, Hikma, Mylan, Sun, and Zydus, adding to the state's $747 million opioid abatement fund.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced Friday that the state will receive more than $13 million as part of finalized national settlements with seven generic opioid drug manufacturers accused of fueling the nationwide addiction crisis. The agreement adds to Maryland's growing "war chest" of opioid litigation funds now expected to exceed $747 million over 15 years.
The settlement involves Alvogen, Amneal, Apotex, Hikma, Mylan, Sun, and Zydus — companies that manufactured and distributed opioid pills during the height of the prescription opioid epidemic. These manufacturers join dozens of other pharmaceutical companies, distributors, and pharmacy chains that have already reached settlement agreements with Maryland and other states.
Breaking Down the $13 Million Settlement
The payments will be distributed over varying timeframes, with some manufacturers making lump-sum payments while others will contribute over a decade:
- Mylan: $5,982,176 over 10 years (largest contributor)
- Amneal: $2,450,965 over 10 years
- Hikma: $2,065,728 in a single year
- Apotex: $1,370,968 in a single year
- Alvogen: $402,150 in a single year
- Sun: $667,204 in a single year
- Zydus: Final amount to be determined
These funds will flow into Maryland's existing opioid settlement infrastructure, which already includes money from the "Big Three" distributors (McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen), Johnson & Johnson, and other major pharmaceutical defendants.
How Maryland Uses Opioid Settlement Funds
Maryland has established one of the nation's most transparent systems for tracking opioid settlement spending. The state's public dashboard, launched earlier this year, allows residents to monitor how dollars are received, distributed, and spent across state and local programs.
To date, Maryland has received $245.8 million of the total expected settlement funds. The money supports a comprehensive approach to the opioid crisis across four key areas:
Treatment and Recovery Services
Settlement funds expand access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), residential programs, and recovery support services. Recent investments include mobile treatment units that bring methadone and buprenorphine to underserved rural communities, addressing transportation barriers that prevent many Marylanders from accessing care.
Prevention and Education
School-based prevention programs, community education campaigns, and youth-focused interventions receive significant funding. The goal is to prevent substance use before it starts and to identify early warning signs in adolescents.
Harm Reduction
Maryland continues to invest in naloxone distribution programs, overdose response training, and syringe services programs (though recent federal policy changes have created uncertainty around some harm reduction funding).
Criminal Justice and Reentry
Funds support treatment for incarcerated individuals and reentry services for those returning to their communities, recognizing that the justice system intersects significantly with substance use disorders.
What This Means for Maryland Families
For families affected by addiction, the settlement represents more than abstract numbers. The funds translate into tangible resources: treatment beds that might not otherwise exist, naloxone kits that save lives during overdoses, and prevention programs that reach teenagers before they experiment with opioids.
"Every dollar we recover from these companies that profited from the opioid crisis goes directly toward healing the communities they harmed," Attorney General Brown said in announcing the settlement.
Maryland residents seeking addiction treatment can access resources through:
- Maryland Crisis Hotline: Call 988 or text "MD" to 741741
- SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
- Maryland Treatment Locator: Available through the state's behavioral health administration
The Broader Context: Maryland's Opioid Response
Maryland has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic, with overdose deaths rising dramatically over the past decade. However, recent data shows promising trends. The state's multi-pronged approach — combining settlement-funded programs with Medicaid expansion, 988 crisis line implementation, and targeted harm reduction — appears to be making a difference.
Baltimore County, which launched its own opioid settlement dashboard earlier this year, demonstrates how local jurisdictions are using these funds. The county has allocated money to recovery housing, treatment scholarships for uninsured residents, and peer recovery specialist programs.
What's Next
The seven manufacturer settlements are now finalized, with payments beginning to flow into state accounts. Maryland's Office of Overdose Response will incorporate these funds into existing programming, with continued oversight from the Opioid Restitution Fund Advisory Council.
For families navigating addiction, the message is clear: help is available, and the state continues to invest in expanding access to care. Whether through the newly expanded treatment capacity, harm reduction services, or prevention programs, Maryland's settlement-funded initiatives aim to turn litigation victories into community healing.
If you or someone you love is struggling with substance use, don't wait. Reach out to the Maryland Crisis Hotline at 988 or the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for confidential, free support available 24/7.
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