United States bases pharmaceutical company which also manufactures medical devices Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) will be paying a whopping $230 million to settle claims that it catalyzed an opioid epidemic in the state of New York and two of its largest counties Nassau and Suffolk.
This settlement payment automatically erases the company from a jury trial slated to start on June 29 on Long Island. This jury trial includes big opioid makers and distributors as defendants.
In settling of the payment Johnson & Johnson didn’t accept any liability with New York and the two involved counties. This settlement also calls for the drug maker to stop selling painkillers across the United States.
“The opioid epidemic has wreaked havoc. Johnson & Johnson helped fuel this fire,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The judge further added that her attention is glued at getting funds into communities devastated by opioids as quickly as possible.
The company said these settlements were in line with its prior agreement to pay $5 billion to settle opioid claims by states, cities, counties and tribal governments across the country.
