Oklahoma is expected to receive approximately $12 million from a newly announced settlement with opioid manufacturers.
Once the money reaches the state, about 75% will go directly to cities and counties that signed onto a group of lawsuits against opioid manufacturers Alvogen, Amneal, Apotex, Hikma, Indivior, Mylan, Sun Pharma and Zydu. Political subdivisions will be able to apply for the remaining 25% to carry out substance abuse and health-related initiatives.
Oklahoma and its localities aren't the only recipients of the settlement. 56 states and American territories and districts brought forward by the lawsuit, according to the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office. Oklahoma joined the effort in Jun., 2025.
The move is part of a larger trend across the country. State, local and tribal governments have sued drugmakers, wholesalers, pharmacies and other businesses over the toll of an opioid crisis that has now been linked to more than 900,000 deaths in the U.S. since 1999.
The lawsuits allege that the drug companies used deceptive marketing tactics, misrepresented opioids' addictiveness and promoted the medicines without adequately disclosing their danger.
At the peak of the crisis in 2023, 810 people died of opioid overdoses in Oklahoma, adding to thousands more deaths over the course of a decade.
Oklahoma's lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson was the first to go to trial in 2019. A ruling ordering the manufacturer to pay the state millions was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, but litigation inspired legal action against other companies in the industry.
Now, Oklahoma's opioid settlement funds total nearly $1 billion.
When the money first started reaching Oklahoma, state leaders let it sit untouched in a holding fund or used it to supplant agency budgets. More than $200 million was earmarked for an opioid research lab once associated with Oklahoma State University.
At the direction of Attorney General Gentner Drummond, the Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board awarded its first round of grants in 2024. More than $30 million has now been distributed to cities, counties and school districts that applied for the funds, the office reports.
Grants support treatment and recovery programs, assistance with co-occurring disorders and mental health issues, opioid abuse education and prevention, proper prescription efforts and strategies to decrease the supply of narcotics across the state.
Drummond said the latest settlement will support the same work.
"I am committed to fighting Oklahoma's opioid crisis at every level," he said in a press release. "Funds from these settlements will provide critical tools and resources to combat the opioid epidemic and save lives."
A spokesperson for Drummond's Office said they anticipate an opportunity to sign onto another multistate action soon, and will make a decision about whether to join once the documents are provided.