Johnson & Johnson Agrees To Pay $230M To Settle New York Opioid Claim
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — New York Attorney General Letitia James says Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $230 million to settle claims that the pharmaceutical giant helped fuel the opioid crisis.
In 2019, the state Attorney General's office filed a lawsuit claiming the company engaged in deceptive marketing and did not do enough to prevent opioids from falling into the wrong hands.
The deal announced on Saturday requires Johnson & Johnson to make a series of payments over nine years that will cover the total. The money will go toward opioid abuse prevention and treatment.
The drugmaker also agreed to end the manufacturing and distribution of opioids across New York and the rest of the nation, James said in statement.
The company "helped fuel this fire, but today they're committing to leaving the opioid business — not only in New York, but across the entire country," James said.
Johnson & Johnson said in a statement on Saturday that the settlement "is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing by the company."
It added that its actions "relating to the marketing and promotion of important prescription pain medications were appropriate and responsible."
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
