Shareholders Overwhelmingly Demand Action from Opioid Distributor after Company Fails to Block Vote at SEC

March 2, 2018: Rhode Island Treasurer Seth Magaziner joined investors from across the country in demanding that AmerisourceBergen, the nation's third largest drug distributor, publicly address opioid-related business risks.

"Opioid-related deaths in Rhode Island are a public health crisis. With this vote, investors in AmerisourceBergen have sent a strong message to the company that we must all work together to end the opioid epidemic," said Treasurer Magaziner. "Independent investors have voted overwhelmingly in favor of more disclosure and accountability at the company."

AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC) had previously appealed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) seeking to deny investor efforts to obtain information about the company's response to the U.S opioid crisis. The SEC denied those appeals, allowing shareholders to consider the proposal at the company's March 1, 2018 annual shareholder meeting in Naples, Florida.

At the meeting, 62 percent of independent shareholder votes were cast in favor of a proposal asking AmerisourceBergen's board to publish a report on the governance measures the company has implemented to more effectively monitor and manage financial and reputational risks related to the opioid crisis in the U.S.

You can read the press release here.