New York Attorney General Letitia James said the state will receive the maximum amount of $230 million available under the $26 billion settlement agreement.with the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors — Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen — and Johnson & Johnson over the companies’ role in the nationwide opioid crisis.
Since the agreement in July, which included 52 states and territories, thousands of local governments across the country have joined during the subdivision sign-on period, according to James. New York has secured full subdivision participation, ensuring that it will receive the maximum amount of $230 million available to it.
“Every region across New York has been impacted by the opioid crisis and every community has been devastated in its wake,” said James. “We went after these manufacturers and distributors because they must pay for their roles in this crisis and for the lives they have forever harmed. While no amount of money will ever bring back the New Yorkers we’ve tragically lost to opioids, with full participation from all of New York’s political subdivisions, we are doing all we can to get the most money possible for our state to put into treatment and prevention efforts.”
Drug Distributors Signal $26B Opioid Settlement with States to Proceed
Last September, the thee large U.S. drug distributors and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson said they would proceed with a proposed $26 billion settlement resolving claims that they fueled the opioid epidemic after “enough” states joined. Cities and counties within participating states havdthrough Jan. 2 to join as well.
The companies deny wrongdoing.
Along with James, the attorneys general of North Carolina, Tennessee, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas led the negotiations for the multistate agreement.
Under a new law, all funds collected by the state from opioid settlements or litigation victories will be allocated specifically for abatement efforts in communities devastated by the opioid epidemic and will not go towards the state’s general fund.
Cases against Mallinckrodt and Rochester Drug Cooperative are now moving separately through U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Topics New York
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