Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has confirmed it will pay two Ohio counties a total of $20.4m to settle a case in which the firm was accused of fuelling the state's opioid addiction crisis. Opioids were involved in almost 400,000 overdose deaths in the US from 1999 to 2017, according to its research. The settlement is part of J&J's agreement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), and comes as other pharmaceutical companies have been hit by lawsuits over their role in fueling America's opioid epidemic. It is the fourth pharma company to settle with Ohio, and the announcement followed an August ruling, ordering J&J to pay $572m to Oklahoma.
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has confirmed it will pay two Ohio counties a total of $20.4m to settle a case in which the firm was accused of fuelling the state's opioid addiction crisis. The settlement is part of J&J's agreement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), and comes as other pharmaceutical companies have been hit by lawsuits over their role in fueling America's opioid epidemic. It is the fourth pharma company to settle with Ohio, and the announcement followed an August ruling, ordering J&J to pay $572m to Oklahoma.