West Virginia To Get $99M From J&J Over Opioid Crisis

Introduction

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) agreed on a settlement where it would pay $99 million to West Virginia over the company's role in fueling the opioid crisis in the state.

West Virginia is also seeking claims against Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd and AbbVie Inc’s Allergan for their role in the crisis. The claims are overlooked in the Kanawha County Circuit Court trial.

The company's spokesperson said that the company has denied that J&J does not admit liability or wrongdoing in the settlement. Even the other companies involved in the lawsuit did not respond.

Endo has also been a defendant in the ongoing trial even though West Virginia reached a $26 million settlement with the state earlier. J&J had sold branded painkillers Duragesic and Nucynta but has currently discontinued the sale of prescription opioid medication.

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia said that the settlement would resolve the lawsuits brought by local government and allow the state to fund programs that would address and prevent opioid addiction problems in the state.

A nationwide $5 billion opioid settlement was been finalized by J&J in February to resolve opioid lawsuits involving state and local governments against the drug companies. West Virginia did not join the settlement as it would have resulted in a much lesser settlement amount of $50 million for the state.

West Virginia has been one of the most badly affected states in the U.S. due to the opioid crisis reporting around 500,000 overdose deaths over the past two decades. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state documented an overdose death rate of more than three times the national average in 2020.

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