West Virginia will receive $26 million from Endo Pharmaceuticals from a settlement related to an opioid lawsuit from the state.

“Today, I reached a $26 million settlement with Endo Pharmaceuticals to resolve allegations of wrongdoing pertaining to their opioid products,” West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said in a statement.

“The opioid epidemic has been one of the most destructive man-made public health crises in our state’s history,” Morrisey added. “I will keep fighting to hold responsible companies accountable for their role in this epidemic.”

The state accused Endo Pharmaceuticals of distributing a drug that was heavily abused in the 1960s and misleading patients by rebranding the product with a new name, called Opana. The state argued that the company misled the public about the risks of addiction and the proper dosage while suggesting high doses that increased the risk of addiction. The lawsuit also accused the company of exaggerating the potential benefits of using the drug.

“We believe that this will be a nice opportunity to put resources in and really target [the money] to those who need it most,” Morrisey said in a news conference.

Slightly less than three-fourths of the settlement money will be sent to the West Virginia First Foundation, which will focus on opioid addiction mitigation. Slightly less than one-fourth of the money will go directly to cities and counties. About 3% will go to the attorney general’s office.

The terms of the agreement require Endo Pharmaceuticals not make any false statements regarding opioids. The company is also prohibited from encouraging the use of opioids for pain treatment.

This article was originally posted on West Virginia reaches $26 million opioid settlement with Endo Pharmaceuticals