Israeli drug-maker Teva, US firm Allergan to pay $54m in San Francisco opioid lawsuit

Opioid makers Allergan and Israel’s Teva have agreed to pay $54 million in cash and overdose reversal drugs to settle a US federal lawsuit brought by San Francisco alleging the drug industry fueled an overdose and addiction surge that created a public nuisance.

City Attorney David Chiu makes the announcement with closing arguments against the sole remaining defendant, Walgreens, scheduled to begin tomorrow. The lawsuit alleges that the pharmacy chain over-dispensed opioids without proper oversight and failed to identify and report suspicious orders as required by law.

The agreement calls for the two opioid manufacturers to pay San Francisco $34 million in cash and provide $20 million worth of the overdose reversal drug, Narcan.