Johnson & Johnson Agrees to Pay $230 Million to Settle Opioid Lawsuit with New York State

JINGWEI News Client, June 28 -- According to a report by the Chinese edition of The Wall Street Journal on the 28th, Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay New York state $230 million to settle an opioid lawsuit scheduled for trial on Tuesday.

According to reports, negotiations with Johnson & Johnson and three drug distributors are currently intensifying, aiming to reach a $26 billion settlement agreement to resolve thousands of other lawsuits alleging that the pharmaceutical industry caused the opioid crisis.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement that while Johnson & Johnson helped fuel the nationwide opioid epidemic and its devastation, the company has now committed to exiting this business, and authorities will continue to focus on allocating additional funding to swiftly assist communities affected by opioid abuse.

Reports indicate that the settlement agreement between Johnson & Johnson and the State of New York helped the company avoid a trial originally scheduled in a Long Island court, but it does not affect other lawsuits Johnson & Johnson faces nationwide, including an ongoing trial in California.

The New York settlement agreement includes an additional $33 million from Johnson & Johnson for attorneys' fees and costs, and requires the pharmaceutical company to cease nationwide sales of opioids—a measure Johnson & Johnson states it has already implemented. In a statement on Saturday, Letitia James said, “While no amount of money can compensate for the tens of thousands in our state who have lost their lives or become addicted to opioids... these funds will be used to prevent any future catastrophe.”

Johnson & Johnson stated that the nationwide agreement continues to make progress, and the company "remains committed to providing certainty to all parties involved and delivering critical assistance to communities in need."

As early as August 26, 2019, a district court judge in Oklahoma, USA, ruled that Johnson & Johnson had intentionally downplayed the risks and exaggerated the benefits of "opioids," thereby causing the state's "opioid" abuse crisis. As a result, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $572 million in damages. Johnson & Johnson stated that it would appeal the ruling.

According to reports, opioids are primarily used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain, including codeine, dihydrocodeine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, methadone, morphine, and fentanyl. Repeated use can easily lead to addiction in patients, and overdose may even be fatal. (Jingwei APP)