Baltimore has secured an $80 million settlement with Teva Pharmaceuticals to address the company’s involvement in the city’s opioid crisis.
Announced by Mayor Brandon M. Scott on September 9, 2024, the deal includes an initial $35 million payment by the end of the year, with the remaining amount due by July 1, 2025. This settlement is part of Baltimore’s ongoing litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors, bringing the city’s total recovery to $322.5 million, following earlier settlements with Allergan, CVS, and Cardinal Health.
By opting out of the national settlement with Teva, Baltimore was able to secure a much larger payout. Instead of receiving $11 million over 13 years, the city will now get more than seven times that amount in less than a year. Trials against other companies, responsible for over half of the opioids that flooded Baltimore, are set to begin on September 16.
The funds from this settlement will go toward vital recovery initiatives, including $5 million for outreach on the 988 mental health system, $3 million to the Penn North Recovery Center, and $2 million to BMore Power. The rest will be allocated through the city’s framework for managing opioid restitution funds, established in a recent executive order.
