Overdose deaths involving illicitly manufactured fentanyls increased sharply from July 2019 to December 2020 in certain regions of the U.S., according to the CDC's Dec. 14 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 

Allergan agreed to pay $200 million by mid-2022 to settle allegations that it contributed to New York's opioid epidemic, state Attorney General Letitia James announced Dec. 8.

CVS Health, Walmart and Walgreens substantially contributed to the opioid crisis in two Ohio counties, a federal jury ruled Nov. 23, according to The New York Times.

Governments at the federal and state levels established opioid use disorder treatment programs during the pandemic, but few states took a comprehensive approach to treating the condition, according to a study published Nov. 19 in JAMA Health Forum.

More than 100,000 Americans died of overdoses in the 12-month period that ended in April, The New York Times reported Nov. 17.

Bloomberg Philanthropies, the philanthropy company of billionaire Michael Bloomberg, said Nov. 10 it plans to invest $120 million over five years to fight opioid overdoses in five states. 

The Oklahoma Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling Nov. 9 that would have required Johnson &  Johnson to pay the state $465 million to address its role in the opioid epidemic, The New York Times reported. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration's approach to buprenorphine regulation is exacerbating the opioid epidemic by unnecessarily discouraging  pharmacies from dispensing the drug, pharmacists and harm reduction experts told NPR on Nov. 8.

Congress launched an investigation Nov. 5 into global consulting firm McKinsey's work with opioid manufacturers, The New York Times reported. 

A revolution is quietly underway in the treatment of opioid addiction via the combination of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and telemedicine. This innovative treatment, called teleMAT, takes traditional MAT to the next level. How? By making it easy to reach a physician proficient in addiction treatment while also avoiding the social stigma of being seen entering a doctor’s office.

A California judge on Nov. 1 ruled that four drugmakers cannot be held liable for the state's opioid crisis, according to NPR.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced Oct. 27 a new overdose prevention strategy that is designed to boost access to care for those with substance use disorders and their families. 

A shortage of Pfizer's lifesaving overdose reversal drug naloxone could precipitate a surge in overdose deaths, North Carolina Health News reported Oct. 22.

Buprenorphine misuse in the U.S. has trended downward over four years, according to a National Institutes of Health study published in JAMA Network Open. 

More than 96,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending in March, marking a new record high, ​​according to preliminary CDC data released Oct. 13.

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson just signed an agreement[1] with the state of New York in June to settle all of the state’s claims against the company related to the opioid epidemic in exchange for $263 million in funding for addiction treatment and related matters. This crucial development comes after a broader $5 billion settlement[2] between the company and many other states, and J&J’s own decision to stop selling opioids[3] altogether.

Four pharmacy chains are appearing in a federal courtroom in Cleveland on Oct. 4, marking the first time such companies have testified about their role in the country's opioid crisis.

AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson said Sept. 28 they will pay a collective $75 million to the Cherokee Nation to settle opioid litigation. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration on Sept. 27 issued its first safety alert in six years, warning about an "alarming increase" in fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Overdose deaths involving methamphetamine nearly tripled between 2015 and 2019 in people ages 18 to 64, according to a study published Sept. 22 in JAMA Psychiatry.