Penalty Amount
$450,000,000
State attorneys general reached a $450 million settlement with opioid manufacturer Endo International plc as part of its bankruptcy. The settlement resolves allegations of deceptive marketing that downplayed addiction risks and overstated benefits, particularly for Opana ER. Endo must pay $450 million over 10 years, ban opioid marketing forever, and disclose millions of documents.
Endo must pay $450 million over 10 years to participating states and subdivisions, permanently ban the marketing of its opioids, and turn over millions of opioid-related documents for publication in a public online archive, including paying $2.75 million for archival expenses.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements with pharmaceutical distributors, customer agreements with healthcare providers and pharmacies, and employee contracts for sales and marketing personnel. Key clauses to examine include marketing and promotional restrictions, representations and warranties regarding product safety and efficacy, compliance with laws and regulatory actions, indemnification obligations for fines or settlements, termination provisions for misconduct, and document retention/disclosure requirements. Changes may be needed to permanently ban opioid marketing, update product claim substantiation requirements, incorporate settlement payment schedules over 10 years, enhance document production obligations for public archives, and strengthen indemnification for deceptive marketing allegations.
Entity
Endo International plc
Also known as: Endo
Industry
Healthcare$625K
Connecticut reached a $625,000 settlement with Frontier Communications Parent Inc. over an April 2024 breach in which compromised employee and vendor credentials were used to access internal systems and exfiltrate unencrypted personal information of 58,841 Connecticut residents. The settlement requires Frontier to strengthen its security program, implement specific safeguards and training, and obtain an independent third-party assessment.
$2.6M
Connecticut and New York found that Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its security vendor, XTIUM, failed to use reasonable safeguards, resulting in hackers accessing sensitive personal, medical, and employee information. The companies agreed to pay penalties totaling $2.64 million and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures.
Connecticut joined a coalition of state attorneys general filing a notice in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy proceedings, raising concerns about the company’s safety and privacy practices and the sensitive information it holds. The states seek protections for children and consumers if the company’s business or assets are sold or transferred; the filing does not impose a fine or other remedy.
Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman petitioned PURA to review how Connecticut public utilities use artificial intelligence, citing potential data privacy and cybersecurity risks, algorithmic errors, and misleading outputs. The petition asks PURA to examine utility AI systems, safeguards, vendors, and data security practices; it does not report a finding of violation or an imposed penalty.
$2.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with RZ Smoke, Inc. over allegations that it distributed and sold high-potency cannabis products without a state license. The stipulated judgment is $2 million, with $375,000 payable to the State and $1.6 million suspended to ensure compliance; the company is barred from specified cannabis activities in Connecticut unless licensed.
$13.7M
Connecticut joined a coalition of states and the federal government in settling allegations that Takeda paid healthcare providers speaker honoraria and provided meals to induce prescriptions of Trintellix, leading to allegedly false claims to government healthcare programs. Takeda agreed to pay $13,670,921 plus accrued interest, with portions allocated to federal and state programs.