NEW YORK, July 26 (Reuters) - Indivior ( INDV ) reached

an $86 million settlement with 16 U.S. states over the drug

manufacturer's alleged role in spreading opioid addiction across

the United States, New York Attorney General Letitia James said

on Friday.

James said the settlement in principle concerned Indivior's ( INDV )

manufacture of buprenorphine-based products meant to treat

opioid abuse, but which allegedly can fuel addiction if misused.

The North Chesterfield, Virginia-based company was

accused of improperly targeting sales to doctors running pill

mills and failing to monitor suspicious orders, leading to

inappropriate prescriptions.

Indivior's ( INDV ) buprenorphine-based products include

Sublocade

and

Suboxone

.

"When companies like Indivior ( INDV ) exploit those in the

thralls of addiction for profit, their behavior must be

stopped," James said in a statement.

She said the $86 million will be used over five years

for opioid addiction treatment, recovery and prevention.

Indivior ( INDV ) did not immediately respond to requests for

comment.

It said on Thursday it

set aside

$75 million for an expected settlement, reflecting the net

present value of the payout. A final settlement must still be

negotiated.

More than 800,000 people in the United States

died of opioid overdoses

between 1999 and 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention has said.

Indivior ( INDV ) remains a defendant in more than 400 civil

lawsuits accusing manufacturers, distributors and retailers of

ignoring red flags about how opioids have been prescribed and

used, and marketing them improperly as a safe means to treat

chronic pain.

Reckitt Benckiser ( RBGPF ) spun off Indivior ( INDV ) in 2014.

Both companies have offices in Slough, England.

James said the Indivior ( INDV ) settlement was negotiated by her

office and the attorneys general of Illinois, Tennessee, Utah

and Virginia.

California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa,

Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Vermont were

also involved.