State AGs Announce $26 Billion Settlement with Johnson & Johnson

A bipartisan coalition of State attorneys general recently announced a $26 billion settlement with Johnson & Johnson and three of the country’s largest drug distributers, Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen. regarding their roles in the opioid crisis. The distributors will be required to pay $21 billion over 18 years and Johnson & Johnson will pay up to $5 billion over nine years. The funding will be used to provide SUD treatment services and bolster prevention efforts. In addition to the payments, Johnson & Johnson will not produce any opioids for at least 10 years and the three distributors will now be required to share prescribing information.