Of the 42,000 overdose deaths in the US in 2016, 40% were caused by prescription opioids. Credit:frankieleon

Teva Pharmaceutical has agreed to pay $85m to Oklahoma, resolving allegations that illegal marketing of the company’s pain medication contributed to the US state’s opioid epidemic.

Specific terms of the settlement, which could take up to two weeks to finalise, have not been disclosed. Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said that the amount will be used to address the opioid crisis in the state.

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The Israeli company noted that its settlement does not indicate any admission to the allegations.

A statement from Teva read: “The settlement does not establish any wrongdoing on the part of the company; Teva has not contributed to the abuse of opioids in Oklahoma in any way.”

Teva’s settlement comes days before a trial that also involves Johnson & Johnson, which chose not to settle the case and is set to face court in Cleveland County on 28 May.

Hunter said: “Nearly all Oklahomans have been negatively impacted by this deadly crisis and we look forward to Tuesday, where we will prove our case against Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries.”

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Teva is the second company to settle legal action by the Oklahoma state. In March, Purdue Pharma settled its opioid lawsuit for $270m, nearly two months before the scheduled trial.

Under the terms of the settlement, Purdue Pharma agreed to pay $102.5m to the National Center for Addiction Studies and Treatment, which will be established at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa.

The company also agreed to provide $20m in medicines to support addiction treatment at the facility, along with $12.5m to address the opioid epidemic in the state, and $60m for all litigation costs.

The Oklahoma lawsuit is the first of more than 2,000 claims filed in various states against Purdue Pharma, Teva, Johnson & Johnson and other opioid manufacturers.