Johnson & Johnson will pay New York $ 230 million: the company hooked citizens on opioids

New York Attorney General Laetitia James secured $ 230 million from Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to resolve claims in the "opioid case".

In March 2019, Attorney General James filed the largest lawsuit in the country (totaling $ 26 billion) to prosecute various drug manufacturers and distributors allegedly responsible for the opioid epidemic in America. In addition to J&J, in The lawsuit also mentions other drug manufacturers, including Purdue Pharma and its subsidiaries, as well as members of the Sackler family (owners of Purdue) and their controlled companies Mallinckrodt LLC, Endo Health Solutions, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., Allergan Finance, LLC and their subsidiaries ... The lawsuit also identified drug distributors McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc., Amerisource Bergen Drug Corporation, and Rochester Drug Cooperative Inc.

Cases against Purdue Pharma (and later the Sackler family), Mallinckrodt and Rochester Drug Cooperative are now being tried separately in US bankruptcy court. The trial of all the other defendants is currently scheduled for early July.

Attorney General James announced on June 26 an agreement with J&J, the parent company of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., to provide New York State with up to $ 230 million in the largest monetary settlement ever reached by Attorney General James.

The agreement will close the attorney general's claims about the company's role in fueling the opioid epidemic (in the case of J&J, the pain relievers Duragesic and Nucynta) and provides for the distribution of payments over nine years with a substantial advance.

The agreement requires J&J to pay the first $ 30 million in its first fiscal year if the New York State Executive Office signs new legislation to create an opioid epidemic fund. If this bill, passed unanimously by the State Legislature, becomes law and all New York City divisions involved in the process join the settlement reached, New York will be entitled to receive more than half of the total payment to February 2022.

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The agreement also makes it mandatory to ban the production or sale of opioids by J&J and all of its New York subsidiaries and sets the stage for J&J to exit the opioid business nationwide.

“The opioid epidemic has damaged countless communities in New York State and across the country, leaving millions of people addicted to dangerous and deadly opioids,” said Attorney General James. “Johnson & Johnson helped ignite this fire, but today they intend to leave the opioid business - not only in New York, but across the country. Opioids will no longer be manufactured and marketed in the United States by J&J. We are also providing up to $ 230 million in funding for prevention, treatment, and education related to the opioid crisis in New York State. While no amount of money will ever compensate for the lives of thousands of people who have died or become addicted to opioids in our state, and the countless families devastated by this crisis will not comfort the countless families devastated by this crisis, the funds will be used to prevent any future tragedies. The trial of the rest of the defendants will begin in the coming week, and we will uncover the heartless and deadly pattern of misconduct that these companies have committed by selling dangerous and addictive opioids across the state. As always, our goal remains to get funds as soon as possible for those who have suffered from opioid addiction. "

J&J will also have to make the details of opioid products more accessible to the public, including patients, healthcare professionals and others. This includes the exchange of clinical trial data.