DELAWARE– The State of Delaware will receive $1.5 million in a multistate settlement with Publicis Health over the group’s involvement in the ongoing opioid epidemic.
Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced today the funds will be used to address the crisis in the hardest-hit Delaware towns through the Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Fund.
Publicis Health, an international marketing and communication firm, agreed to a $350 million settlement for its role in promoting and selling opioids through Purdue Pharma from 2010 to 2019.
The company also agreed to disclose its dealings with opioid companies like Purdue and stop accepting work related to any Schedule II narcotics, according to a press release.
“We can never bring back the lives that were lost in Big Pharma’s pursuit of profit, but settlements like this give us the resources to get help to those who are still grappling with the devastation that this epidemic has caused across our state,” Jennings said.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced the state will receive $7.2 million from the settlement.
Virginia will receive $7.82 million, according to Attorney General Jason Miyares.