Johnson & Johnson to pay $230m settlement for role in opioid crisis

*The Attorney-General states the opioid epidemic has wreaked havoc on countless communities across New York State and the rest of the United States, leaving millions still addicted to dangerous and deadly Opioids

*Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals will no longer manufacture or sell Opioid drugs in the country

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

For the helping to ‘fuel the opioid crisis’ in the country, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has reached a settlement with the office of the New York Attorney-General with a view to resolving the charges preferred against the pharmaceutical company.

ConsumerConnect gathered that sequel to the agreement reached with Letitia James, Attorney-General of New York State, the drug manufacturing firm will pay $230 million to the state.

Opioids

James said in announcing the agreement that “the opioid epidemic has wreaked havoc on countless communities across New York state and the rest of the nation, leaving millions still addicted to dangerous and deadly opioids,”

“Johnson & Johnson helped fuel this fire, but today they’re committing to leaving the opioid business — not only in New York but across the entire country,” agency report stated.

Under the settlement agreement, James said Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals will no longer manufacture or sell opioid drugs in the US.

The company, in a statement, said that it decided in 2020 to stop producing painkillers in the United States.

Johnson & Johnson explained: “The settlement is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing by the company, and it is consistent with the terms of the previously announced $5 billion all-in settlement agreement in principle for the resolution of opioid lawsuits and claims by states, cities, counties and tribal governments.”

The latest settlement also removes the drugmaker as a defendant in a larger opioid suit brought by the state that is scheduled to begin this week.

How the money will be used

New York Attorney-General James said the $230 million dollars to be paid by Johnson & Johnson would fund a programme to prevent opioid abuse, provide treatment for those who are addicted, and support drug education efforts.

“While no amount of money will ever compensate for the thousands who lost their lives or became addicted to opioids across our state or provide solace to the countless families torn apart by this crisis, these funds will be used to prevent any future devastation,” James said.

The settlement is the latest chapter in a decade-long battle by states and local governments to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for the epidemic of opioid addiction in the US State and federal actions are pending against a number of companies in the country’s economy.

It is recalled that bankrupt Purdue Pharma, in March 2021, made the opioid painkiller Oxycontin, proposed a payment of $4.28 billion.

The offer was an increase from the $3 billion in the original settlement proposal. To date, the offer has not been accepted, according to report.

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