Henry Schein Inc announced that it will be dismissed with prejudice as a defendant in opioid litigation in Summit County, Ohio.
This comes as a number of other defendants reached settlements worth $260 million, ending a number of lawsuits filed by Ohio’s Cuyahoga and Summit counties. Henry Schein was not named in the Cuyahoga case.
The company says that it will make a $1 million donation to a Pain Management Education Foundation dedicated to making grants supporting and aggregating research around best practices for pain management, including prescription opioids and alternatives, and educating on best practices.
The company will also pay $250,000 in expenses to Summit County.
The case before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio alleged that Henry Schein Inc and other companies undertook a “false advertising campaign” to expand the market for opioids and that these companies benefited financially by failing “to monitor appropriately and restrict” distribution of the drugs.
In January, Henry Schein denied that it “made deliberate efforts to evade restrictions on opioid distribution or acted without regard for life.” The company also denied that it delivered opioids for “illicit use.”
AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson will pay a combined $215 million, while drug manufacturer Teva will pay $20 million cash, plus $20 million for suboxone—a drug used to treat opioid addiction.
In a filing Monday, Henry Schein said sales of opioids accounted for less than 0.10% of its $9.4 billion in sales in 2018. In addition, the company stated that the “vast majority” of opioids sold in 2018 were administered through injections in dental and physician offices.
“The opioid crisis is a terrible national tragedy, and all segments of society need to come together to address the crisis,” said Stanley M. Bergman, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, Henry Schein. “We look forward to playing a constructive role in helping to advance solutions that put an end to opioid addiction.”
