The three biggest U.S. drug distribution companies and the drugmaker Johnson & Johnson are on the verge of a $26 billion settlement covering thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids across the U.S., two people with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press.
The people who gave the AP details of the national settlement did so on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak as details are finalized.Cardinal Health declined to comment early Tuesday, and the other distribution companies did not respond to requests for comment. But Johnson and Johnson reiterated in a statement that it’s prepared to contribute up to $5 billion to the national settlement.
An Associated Press analysis of federal distribution data found that enough prescription opioids were shipped in 2012 for every person in the U.S. to have a 20-day supply. Including the New York case, there are currently three trials across the U.S. of government entities’ claims that companies should be held liable for the opioid crisis. One in California focuses solely on drugmakers, and one scheduled to wrap up this month in West Virginia aims only at distributors. That could be ended if a deal is reached.
That doesn’t seem nearly high enough
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